Hope for patients from Skegness facing long trips for prescriptions

Matt Warman, MP for Boston and Skegness, has spoken to Health Minister David Mowat after a local GP surgery stopped offering some services normally delivered in hospitals.

In October the Skegness Standard featured an article about Beacon Medical Practice patient Ian Clifton, 59, who faced a 200-mile round trip to Sheffield Hospital to get a repeat prescription for Azathioprine when it was feared he would no longer be able to collect it from the surgery. Mr Clifton, who retired to Addlethorpe, suffers Polyarteritis (inflamation of arteriies).

At the time, the surgery and NHS Lincolnshire East Clinical Commissioning Group said the decision was taken on ‘patient safety’ grounds.

Mr Warman said: “I met with Beacon Medical Practice managers in Skegness earlier this month to discuss their concerns and reasoning for the change in this service and am pleased the Government is committed to helping the situation.

“I am keen to ensure that a sensible solution is found for all those affected by the cancellation of additional services that many have relied on for years for their essential complex prescriptions. I am confident that NHS England will find an alternative.”