Ceremony as Tarves Surgery closes – but fight goes on.

Tarves surgery operated by Haddo Medical Practice closed its doors today (7th September 2012). As the crowd gathered for a short ‘closing’ ceremony, the message was that this was the outcome of a bad decision by NHS Grampian and the Scottish Government.
Suzanna Bichard gave a short address to the crowd which called for the decision to be reversed and told the crowd that a meeting on Monday (10th) was a first step to getting the dispensing decision reversed which forced the practice to close the surgery.
Mary Bowen also spoke of the late intervention by Local MSP Alex Salmond and said that action was expected and that local people would continue to try to have a GP service for Tarves.
Local residents, Chris York, Tamsin Morris and David Hekeklaar will be joining Community Council member Dick Reville, Local Aberdeenshire Councillor Paul Johnston and representatives from Udny Community Council at a meeting with Grampian Health Board Chief Richard Carey on Monday in Inverurie in a bid to have NHS Grampian place the issue on the agenda and then reverse the faulty decision to remove dispensing from the Surgery. Haddo medical group have indicated that should they have continued dispensing from Pitmedden and Methlick for all their patients except the neighbourhood of Tarves, then a GP presence can be re-established in Tarves.