Patient pleads to Prime Minister to stop changes to her GP surgery in Sudbury

A disabled NHS patient from Sudbury Town has started a petition pleading with the prime minister to save her successful GP surgery from new ownership.

Patients at the Sudbury Primary Care Centre in Watford Road are fighting to save their GP practice - Credit: Archant

Grace Balogan a patient at the Sudbury Primary Care Centre in Watford Road, is asking David Cameron to intervene in the “sale” of the popular practice and already has 229 signatures in support of her petition.

The surgery’s three-year contract with Intergrated Health CIC is ending and has been “put out for tender” to other competitors against huge public opposition.

Last month, Ms Balogan and fellow campaigners took a 3,700 signature petition to the headquarters of NHS Improvement, which is responsible for overseeing foundation trusts and NHS trusts.

Ms Balogan said: “I am calling on David Cameron, Jeremy Hunt and The Queen to intervene and ask NHS England to take my Doctors ‘practice out of the tender now.

Paul Lorber, Gaynor Lloyd, Grace Balogun delivering their petition - Credit: Archant

“I suffer from a range of major health issues which means that I live my life in a wheelchair. I have a good and happy life – or I did until NHS England decided – without asking me – that it would be a good idea to take away from me the family doctors who have cared for me for the last 14 years.”

A spokeswoman for NHS England said: “The contract at Sudbury Vale was coming to an end and so, in order to continue the service we were obliged to undertake a procurement process to commission a provider.”

To sign the petition visit here.