Calls for clarity on £144k Chesterfield NHS improvement plan - as patients wait weeks for GP appointments
“It seems to be pretty standard that you have to wait a month to see a GP and in a modern society that in itself cannot be acceptable.”
Chesterfield’s MP is calling for an update on plans to improve local NHS services revealed as a part of a planning application - as residents are left waiting weeks for GP appointments.
When plans to build 301 new homes at the land off Linacre road in Holme Hall were first revealed in 2021, many concerns were raised about the impact the development would have on the local NHS services.
NHS Derbyshire estimated that to meet the health needs of additional residents, funding of £144,576 would be required.
When the plans for the Tilia Homes development were approved in 2022, the developer was obliged to cover the cost of the NHS service expansion in the area.
But residents have not received any updates since and have been left concerned over the impact on already overstretched health care services in Holme Hall.
The Holme Hall GP Surgery, run by Royal Primary Care, is currently operated on a part-time basis with limited appointments available.
The surgery is open from 8am to 5pm on Mondays, 8am to 12.30pm on Tuesdays and Wednesdays and 8am to 6.30pm on Thursdays. It is closed on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.
Adrian Rimington, a Holme Hall resident and the Chairman of the Chesterfield branch of National Pensioners Convention said recently the surgery contacted him to remind him to book his annual health review - but the next available appointment was ‘at least a month later’.
Sharing his struggles with the surgery, Mr Rimington added: “As things stand the main problem is there are very few appointments in the Holme Hall surgery.
“It seems to be pretty standard that you have to wait a month to see a GP and in a modern society that in itself cannot be acceptable.
“Ideally you should be able to get an appointment the same day or the following day but most certainly within a week.
“The Holme Hall surgery is still part time, but it was meant to go full time with all the houses being built.
“This simply isn’t good enough.”
Chesterfield Borough Council confirmed developer Tilia Homes, paid £144,576 in the 2024/25 financial year as agreed in the planning documents.
The funds have since been passed on to NHS Derby and Derbyshire Integrated Care Board (ICB) - but no details have been revealed on how and when they would be spent to improve NHS services.
Chesterfield MP Toby Perkins, met with Chesterfield Borough Council to discuss the situation, said: “Residents in Linacre and Holme Hall deserve timely access to GP appointments, and it is vital that local healthcare provision keeps pace with the pressures created by new housing developments.
“I have received confirmation from Chesterfield Borough Council that the £144,576 developer contribution secured through the planning agreement for the Tilia Homes development was received in 2024/25 and that the Derbyshire Integrated Care Board is now developing an outline capital project to expand healthcare facilities, with this contribution helping to fund the scheme.
“This is welcome progress, but residents need clarity on how and when this will see improvements to GP access.
“I will be seeking further details and timescales from Derbyshire ICB.”
When contacted by Derbyshire Times, a spokesperson for Derby and Derbyshire ICB was unable to reveal the details of the schemes under consideration, or the timescale of when services would be improved.
Caroline Goulding, Director of Strategic and Specialised Commissioning for the Derby and Derbyshire, Lincolnshire, Nottingham and Nottinghamshire ICB Cluster said: "We are aware of the funding available to support primary care provision in response to the additional patients associated with this development.
“We are currently considering the options available to ensure the funding is used in the most effective way.
“This includes looking at wider primary care estate needs and how services can best be supported over the longer term, so that any scheme makes the best use of the capital available and delivers sustainable benefits.
“Once a preferred scheme has been agreed, the available funding can be requested from the council and plans progressed.
“There is no specific deadline attached to this funding, so we are unable to provide a precise timeframe at this stage, but we expect to make further progress in the near future.”