IN my letter to the Right Honorable Jeremy Hunt MP, the Secretary of State for the Department of Health and to NHS England (South West) I wrote asking them to override the decision to close the Okement Primary Care Centre in Okehampton, as the decision is based on a crude desire to save money without giving consideration to the longer term needs of the local population.

The town of Okehampton and its immediate environment has been the subject of very extensive and dense new housing developments and this is likely to continue. I personally know several proposed developments — most of which already have planning permission — which will increase the area population by at least 1,000 people in the next three years. This does not appear to have been taken into account by stating that the Okement practice is not viable with only 1,800 patients, as it is almost certain that their patient numbers will grow substantially.

I transferred to the Okement Surgery from the Okehampton Medical Centre because I found the latter very impersonal. It seems to me that they will hardly be very friendly to having another 1,800 patients dumped on them willy nilly — without prior discussion — which I understand is what happened.

The Okement Surgery is capable and the staff have tried hard to make it user friendly. In the time I have been their patient they have been kind and helpful to me, notwithstanding that I am a fairly cantankerous and crotchety old man. The thought of having to crawl back to the Okehampton Medical Centre fills me with gloomy apprehensions.

There is no alternative practices in the area. I did telephone St Austell to ask for alternatives and they were unable to suggest one which I, in my 85th year, could reach by public transport.

All in all, I think the decision to close the Okement Surgery is a mistake, designed by someone far from the district who could not be bothered to establish the facts and needs of the locals but was obsessed with the short term aim of saving a few bob today and not caring a fig about the future.

Under all these circumstances I am appealing to them to order a review of the decision made by NHS England so that we can at least put the case for the maintainance of the Ockment Surgery.

Robert Arnheim

South Zeal