I was concerned to read that Eaton Place Surgery in Brighton is due to close in February 2015 (More than 5,000 patients need to find new surgery after Brighton GPs announce retirement, The Argus, October 18).

I welcome NHS England taking speedy action to find alternative premises and new GPs to serve our local community. To try and place over 5,000 patients with other surgeries in the local area is likely to prove challenging and could lead to increased waiting times.

I know that GPs work incredibly hard and many are now working under huge pressure to meet the needs of a growing population and more people living with long-term medical conditions.

In some cases this means that patients turn to hospitals for non-urgent care and this in turn places greater strain on hospitals, including accident and emergency departments.

The Royal College of General Practitioners has reported that in recent years the share of funding for patient care in general practice has been falling. In real terms spending on general practice in England has dropped by £405 million compared to three years ago.

We need to invest in GPs who are an essential part of our frontline health service.

They keep people healthy for longer and enable more people to manage their conditions in the community, avoiding unnecessary hospital admissions.

That’s why Labour has pledged an extra £2.5 billion to pay for more healthcare staff, including 8,000 GPs and a guaranteed GP appointment within 48 hours. This will be paid for with a mansion tax on properties over £2million, by tackling tax avoidance and with a levy on tobacco firms.

Nancy Platts,
Labour Parliamentary Candidate for Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven