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Vigil held to protest against GP surgery closure

BBC A row of people stood on the pavement holding protest signs in front of a building with a sign that reads surgery.BBC
A vigil was held outside the practice on Friday

Residents held a vigil to protest against the closure of a GP surgery in their Leicestershire village.

The Surgery in The Common in Evington closed on Friday after the practice made the Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland Integrated Care Board (ICB) aware that the landlord was selling the premises.

The site was a branch of St Elizabeth's Medical Centre in Netherhall Road, more than two miles away, or two bus rides for some patients.

A silent protest was held on Friday outside the surgery, with concerns raised about other services in the area disappearing.

A pharmacy has recently closed, while a post office is due to shut in January.

Ursula Bilson looking at the camera wearing a purple hat, scarf and coat.
Ursula Bilson said the new location would prove a logistical headache for her

Evington resident Ursula Bilson, 52, told the BBC: "This is making my life more complicated.

"At a period in my life when I need to be there for other people and help other members of my family, I can't cope with my own things.

"This is not right."

Anne Turner looking at the camera wearing a purple scarf and pink coat, with glasses on top of her head.
Anne Turner said she needed a practice that she can easily access by bus

Another villager Anne Turner, 70, said: "I need to have something that I can walk to or that I can get a bus easily to and the practice that they advised me to sign on to, Netherhall Road, is two buses away, which is one bus into town and one bus out again and I think that's too much for me to do."

The J&A Pharmacy, which has been in Main Street since the 1980s, closed last month due to financial reasons, according to owners R Glenton & Son.

Chris Pollock sat at a wooden table in a navy gilet and red checked shirt.
Chris Pollock said the community in Evington was "strong"

Chris Pollock, 76, said: "We just don't want to see a load of boarded up property in the village.

"It's not what we came for, it's not what we live here for.

"We're a good community, we're a strong community and it's gradually being eroded by a lack of amenities."

Zuffar Haq wearing a blue suit with a white striped shirt and navy tie looks at the camera.
Councillor Zuffar Haq previously criticised the decision to close the branch surgery 12 days before Christmas

Zuffar Haq, who represents Evington on Leicester City Council, said: "We wanted to make sure the NHS and GPs understand the strength of feeling in this area.

"There's hundreds of patients who are going to have to travel 2.6 miles, catch four buses to go and see their GP.

"It's totally unacceptable."

A public meeting was held on 4 December at Pilgrim Gardens independent living in Evington, Leicester, so villagers could air their concerns.

Residents raised objections to taking two buses to attend the main centre and changing to a different practice altogether.

Spokespeople for the ICB at the meeting said the branch surgery was no longer fit for purpose and that it had run a public consultation since June regarding the closure.

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