A local Labour group says residents have been "utterly failed" by councillors as they called for a timeline for when Woodstock will get a new GP surgery.
Residents and staff at the surgery have complained that the current surgery is not fit for purpose due to the increasing number of patients that need to use the services, as well as accessibility and safety issues, particularly for disabled patients.
Woodstock Town Council called a meeting to discuss creating a new doctor’s surgery on Thursday, November 21 at St. Mary Magdalene’s Church.
It was attended by Calum Miller, MP for Bicester and Woodstock, leader of West Oxfordshire District Council Andy Graham, and representatives from Blenheim, who own the land where the GP surgery is located.
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After the meeting, local Labour party vice chair of campaigns and membership, Veronica Oakeshott said that Woodstock residents have been “utterly failed” by successive councillors, who have been “asleep at the wheel” for decades.
She said: “[The district council] have been quick to accept findings from Blenheim-funded consultants that this or that site isn’t appropriate, whilst simultaneously failing to secure from them the specific contributions for a surgery everyone knows is desperately needed.
“As leader of the council, Andy Graham has known of the issue for three years. His council holds the pen on negotiations with housing developers, and he has not one but two local Liberal Democrat councillors in place in Woodstock to update him.
“That he has no timeline is shocking. Residents of Woodstock and nearby villages are having clinical appointments in broom cupboards. We need a timeline now.”
She added that Calum Miller, MP for Bicester and Woodstock, said he could identify a viable site for the new surgery by the middle of next year.
"Woodstock is one town that urgently needs a new doctor’s surgery.
“A new doctor’s surgery would be delivered by the NHS Integrated Care Board and is not directly in the gift of the district council.
"As a district council we have been working hard to pull all the relevant stakeholders together to find a solution.
"We have also been pushing for S106 monies to help fund a new centre.
"We have secured funding through recent developments in Woodstock and we are looking for opportunities to secure more.
“I have personally spent a lot of time bringing the relevant organisations together and was disappointed that the Hensington Road site was not feasible. A new working group has been set up and we are due to meet in December to look at processes and sites to move this forward.
“I will continue to push for a solution, including a clear timeline, and will continue to keep residents informed through ongoing public meetings and information sharing. We will provide further updates on a regular basis. Our communities can be reassured we are doing all we can as a district council to make this happen.”
Nick Melliss, who uses a mobility scooter and has been campaigning for a new GP surgery, called the situation a “continual mess”.
He said: “If I or other mobility scooter, wheelchair or even pram users were in the surgery when a fire alarm went off, the narrow corridors mean we wouldn’t be able to get out in time.
“This unsafe situation has gone on too long and must be rectified with a new surgery that caters for all Woodstock residents.”
In July, GPs at Woodstock Surgery sent a letter to local town and district councillors and the ICB for Buckinghamshire Oxfordshire and Berkshire West, saying that the number of patients they had was “already unsustainable”.
The Labour group have identified the old police station in Woodstock as a possible site for a new surgery.
They opposed the planning application for the site to be turned into 29 retirement homes.
The NHS Integrated Care Board (ICB) for Buckinghamshire Oxfordshire and Berkshire West said:
“While the practice and its partners have identified new sites in the past, none have been suitable to deliver the level of patient care needed in the long term.
“The ICB would be pleased to consider any proposals from the practice for new GP premises in Woodstock, but these must be affordable.
“We will continue to work with the practice and key local stakeholders to find a sustainable and value for money solution to meet the healthcare needs of the Woodstock community."
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About the author
Esme is a Local Democracy Reporter covering politics, planning and council meetings across the county.
She joined the Oxford Mail in October 2024 after completing a Master's in Journalism at the University of Sheffield.
Esme achieved a BA in History at Cambridge University before going down the journalism path.
She can be found on X by searching @esme_kenney.
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