More than 150 Addington residents have vowed to continue their fight to get their local GP surgery reopened after it was closed last week.

Support is mounting to persuade NHS bosses to reconsider the decision to close the clinic on Crossways.

A health authority spokesman told the Guardian that the surgery closed last Friday (August 3) because doctors at the practice said their facilities "no longer met NHS requirements or the needs of patients."

But she refused to elaborate to the Guardian about what this meant.

The practice has since moved to the Parkway surgery in New Addington, but Crossways' patients are campaigning for the clinic to be reopened.

One patient from Featherbed Lane, who has asked not to be named, was sent a letter informing him of the closure two months ago.

He said: "Ironically, the opening paragraph stated that the closure and merger is to improve' services for the community.

"What a joke! The fact that we will be joining an already busy surgery means that we will lose the personal contact we had at Crossways."

The concerned resident also highlighted the problem of travelling to the alternative Parkways Surgery in New Addington.

"This closure is a massive inconvenience. We will have to get on a tram to get to Parkways. This is fine for the young and fit, but what about the elderly and people with poor mobility?"

More than 150 people have signed a petition protesting against the closure at Harries Chemist on Selsdon Park Road.

The health authority spokesman said: "We appreciate this may cause some inconvenience to patients and hope they will remain with the practice and continue their care at Parkway Health Centre.

"However, patients have been given the choice to stay with the practice or to make arrangements to find an alternative GP within the area, as there are four practices in the locality.

"The health authority would be happy to assist with this."

August 8, 2001 9:24

Kerry McQueeney