'Village needs return of its essential services'

PETITION LAUNCHED AFTER SURGERY CLOSURE WAS FOLLOWED BY THAT OF LOCAL PHARMACY

- By JASMINE SIDDON

RESIDENTS are demanding “essential services” be reinstated after a Leicester GP surgery and pharmacy closed.

St Elizabeth's Medical Centre, which serves patients in Netherhall and Evington, shut its branch in The Common, Evington, in November, following the landlord's decision to sell the property.

The closure had been approved by NHS Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland’s Integrated Care Board (LLR ICB) - which provides local healthcare services - after St Elizabeth’s applied for permission for it to shut.

The following month, J & A Pharmacy, in Main Street, Evington, also shut permanently.

The ICB's decision to approve the closure of the surgery is now being looked into by the Parliamentary Health Ombudsman.

John McFadyen, a longtime resident of the area, said he had witnessed the negative impact that the closures had had on the community.

John said: “The closures have had an impact, particularly on our elderly and disabled neighbours who have relied on these services for years.

“The closures have left many residents of Evington Village in distress and facing significant challenges.