FOUR out of five Forest GP surgeries have been left in the dark over plans to cut hours at the Minor Injuries Units at Dilke and Lydney hospitals.

This is the shock claim by Cllr Craig Lawton, the Forest of Dean District Council’s designated Health Champion.

Gloucestershire Care Services is currently holding a public consultation exercise on minor injuries services, which includes information leaflets distributed through GP surgeries.

But Cllr Lawton says the information is not even getting through to health professionals far less the general public.

He is now calling for Gloucestershire NHS to look into the review to find out why many GP practices may have been missed out.

Cllr Lawton said: “I was shocked when I rang around a number of health centres in the Forest.

“Of the five main towns in the Forest, practices in Newent, Lyndey, Coleford, and Mitcheldean were all unaware of the review and did not have literature available.

“Some even reached out to me and asked for copies to be sent to them for their patients.

“Only Cinderford confirmed that they stocked information for patients about the review into Minor Injuries Units.

Cllr Lawton, who has held the role of Health Champion in the Forest for just over a year, also pointed out that he has had discussions with some local NHS staff who themselves are not aware of the review.

He said: “I was very surprised when some front-line NHS staff in Gloucestershire said to me that the first thing they had heard of the review was when I publicised links to the information.

“I would expect staff to be made fully aware of the review.

“If nothing else they will be able to discuss it with patients if they ask questions.

“Furthermore we have to remember that many of the people that work in our hospitals in the Forest and throughout the county are themselves residents and deserve to have their say as well.

“I have made sure these concerns have been passed on to Gloucestershire NHS.

“Officials at Gloucestershire Care Services NHS Trust have been in touch with me and confirmed that they are doing a number of things to help make residents aware of the review and the proposals.

“As part of this they stated that literature is available in all 84 GP practices across Gloucestershire.

“However after ringing these practices it is clear that more needs to be done to make sure that this information finds its way to local residents.

“I am confident that Gloucestershire NHS officials truly believe that the information is available in all their GP practises.

“However this brings into question whether the rest of the work that Gloucestershire Care Service NHS Trust say they have done has actually found its way to the people that really matter in all this- local residents.”

Candace Plouffe, Chief Operating Officer said, “In undertaking this review, we have made significant effort to reach as many people as possible so as to hear their views.

"This has included making use of local newspapers and radio, social media and setting up 18 information events to engage with people directly right across Gloucestershire. We have also worked with our partners – so in the Forest for example, we have liaised with Healthwatch, the Village Agents and the local Leagues of Friends to help spread the message and elicit people’s views.

"We have also organised nine events countywide to involve staff in the discussions, in addition to making information available to colleagues via regular briefings and internal communications.

"Additionally, we have also worked closely with the Gloucestershire Clinical Commissioning Group (GCCG) who contacted all local GPs directly to involve them in the engagement exercise prior to the review launch. Since then, the GCCG has also carried updates in its GP newsletter – whilst we as a Trust, have provided information brochure packs to every GP practice across the county, and have also promoted the review on the TV screens in GP surgeries."

"Naturally, we are disappointed if the message has not reached everyone, but are assured that we have already received a healthy response to both our Freepost and online survey. We would also note that by week three of the engagement exercise, we exhausted our initial supply of 5,000 brochures and response cards, and had to order a reprint, showing the considerable interest in this issue."