Following on from previous communications regarding the proposed closure of the Westbourne Branch Surgery located at The Square, Westbourne PO10 8UE, we wish to inform you that the NHS Hampshire and Isle of Wight Integrated Care Board (ICB) have given approval to close the Westbourne Surgery on 31st July 2025.
We have held two public events and, in addition, a GP, manager and members of the Patient Participation Group (PPG) attended a Westbourne Parish Council meeting to answer questions and address any concerns.
Our Vision
· Our vision for the future is to have the entire Emsworth Medical Practice team working from one location which will be more effective, efficient and safer for patients.
The reasons for the closure have been previously outlined and are listed below:
· We now have the benefit of our main site, a £4.4 million, modern, fully equipped, purpose-built building in Emsworth located only 1.3 miles from the Westbourne Branch Surgery.
· We have the latest medical equipment needed at the Emsworth site which isn’t replicated at the smaller branch surgery.
· We benefit from having the whole practice team at the Emsworth site, which includes our GPs, Advanced Nurse Practitioners, Nurses, Health Care Assistants and Phlebotomists and office staff all working from the same building.
· In addition to the practice team, we also have our Primary Care Network (PCN) team working from the main site at Emsworth and they include the Pharmacy team, a Physiotherapist, Mind workers and Midwife so that all patient services can be delivered from one site.
We understand that one of the major concerns from those patients living in and around Westbourne is the lack of transport options from Westbourne to the Emsworth Medical Practice main site. We do understand and hear your concerns, and we would like to reaffirm the following transport options to the residents of Westbourne:
· A two hourly bus service from the Southleigh Road roundabout to the Emsworth Baptist Church, opposite the Emsworth main surgery which takes 5 minutes. We have been made aware that this service is not ideal and the bus stop is on the edge of Westbourne and so not convenient or accessible for some
· The Bourne Community Bus runs through Westbourne village 3 days a week on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, from 8.30am – 4pm. This is a free service with a bus pass or £3.00 for each journey. The GP Partners plan to make a substantial financial contribution to the Bourne Community Bus from the Practice as we wish to work together and support the community wherever possible.
· Ems Valley Community Transport, a voluntary service, is available to those patients in and around Westbourne who are not physically able to use public transport because of mobility
problems. Once registered on the scheme, residents can use the service to attend GP, hospital, dental, optician or hairdresser appointments, for shopping or to meet with family and friends. In most cases, the driver will take people to their appointments, wait for them and take them home again. There is a one off membership fee of £10 and then donations towards mileage. It is easy to register by calling the service and one of their friendly Home Visitors will arrange to come and visit and explain how the scheme works. If you would like to find out more, please phone 07481 179203 or visit https://evctcars.org
· There is also Emsworth Good Neighbours, also a voluntary service, who offer lifts to appointments and charge for fuel costs only. Please ring 01243 430999.
Please note that the practice will accommodate GP and nurse appointments around the bus times wherever possible.
There are disabled parking spaces at the front of the Emsworth main surgery and both the MP for Chichester, Jess Brown-Fuller, and our PPG have been in touch with Havant Borough Council to request additional disabled parking in the car park adjacent to the main Emsworth surgery and a break in the wall which divides the car park and the surgery, to provide a walkway through to the main entrance.
The practice loans out wheelchairs to help those patients who are less mobile when attending the surgery.
All of the rooms at the Emsworth site are very accessible and there is also a lift in the building.
We would like to take this opportunity to make you aware that you can contact the surgery by telephone, our receptionists will be happy to help you, or online, or by visiting the Practice in person. If there is a queue on the telephone you will be given the option of a call back so that you do not have to hold on the line and you will not usually have to hold on for long. We want to reassure you that we are constantly working hard to improve access for patients and so please do feed back any issues you may encounter.
We understand that any change may raise concerns and we are committed to providing transparent communication and support throughout this process. We value the trust and confidence you have placed in us, and we remain dedicated to serving you with compassion, integrity, and excellence in healthcare.
We know change can bring a level of uncertainty, but we also hope it can bring a level of security by futureproofing our services as we transition to providing a more responsive and resilient modern General Practice.
Dr A Slingsby & Partners