THE meeting held at the Charter Hall, Okehampton on January 22 certainly lived up to its title, as it consolidated an outpouring of injustice by the users of the Okement surgery.

The hall was packed with stakeholders all determined to express their anger at the closure and who manifestly were not happy at the re-distribution of them to adjoining practices.

A panel consisting of an NHS representative, Devon county councillors, town councillors and representatives from the practice provided a backdrop to the already taken decision to close the practice, despite the wishes of the patients concerned.

Rachel (NHS representative) was repeatedly challenged around the NHS statement undertaking regarding ‘Commissioners who engage with the patients and public make better decisions and better use of public money’.

The numerous personal stories gave support to the highly charged emotional feelings of the audience, even if at times the accounts were historical and negative regarding Okehampton Medical Centre.

There was a definite reluctance to consider if there were any benefits from this closure and without exception speakers wanted this to be a lesson for the NHS on how an issue like this should be handled better.

The sheer intensity of the feelings from the occupants clearly demonstrated the need for the greater involvement of patients in their patient participation groups, and that those concerns are brought to the Mid Devon Patient Panel meetings.

You do have a choice if you ensure that you become proactive and not reactive, when the opportunity for change has generally been lost.

James Bradley

South Zeal