Community joy as surgery stays put
People have welcomed the news Northgate Surgery will not be moving.
Northgate residents expressed their relief after hearing that their local surgery, in Woolborough Road , Northgate, will not relocate to the town centre.
Many residents felt the elderly and ill would have found it difficult to get to the new site in rooms next to Crawley Walk-in Centre, in Haslett Avenue West.
Len O’Sullivan, 49, from Woodfield Close, agreed the current surgery needed improving but he would have transferred to another surgery if it had moved.
He said: “I’m waiting for two new knee replacements so it would have cost me to get a bus there and back.
“We try to look after our old people in this community so I’m glad for them.
“Also, if it had moved to the town, would they still have used the local chemist? I don’t know how it would affect them.”
The surgery was going to be moved because Saxonbrook Medical, which runs the surgery, felt the 30-year-old building was no longer fit for purpose.
The move was halted after NHS Sussex decided the current site could be developed and refurbished.
Pam Smith, 75, from South Close, thought the surgery needed to stay where it was but needed improvements.
She said: “My eldest daughter is a community nurse and she said the surgery needs doing up but you would think they could just temporarily move it then do it up.”
Brenda Ward, 74, from Ifield West, said the move to the town centre would have made it difficult for mothers to visit.
She said: “It was a silly idea in the first place. My daughter uses it and doesn’t want to drag her children into town if they’re sick.”
Franco Etchells, 58, from Cloverlands, said: “I’ve been using that surgery the whole time it’s been here and I’m glad it’s staying put.”
Doug Allport, 36, from Glenview Close, said he could not see any need to improve the surgery.
He said: I think it’s an aesthetically pleasing building.
“I can’t see any problem with it. I wouldn’t say it needed changing.”
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Weather for Crawley
Thursday 23 May 2013
Today
Light showers
Temperature: 4 C to 11 C
Wind Speed: 18 mph
Wind direction: North west
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Light showers
Temperature: 5 C to 10 C
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