Rural GP crisis as local medical centre could close closure

Local politicians have urged the Welsh Government to intervene following concerns that Llanrhaeadr Medical Centre could close.

Member of the Senedd for Montgomeryshire, Russell George MS, and Powys County Councillor, Aled Davies, who represents the Llanrhaeadr-ym-Mochnant and Llansilin ward, have urged the Welsh Government to act to protect rural GP services, after warning that the medical centre – part of the Llanfyllin Group Practice – is at significant risk of closure due to funding constraints.

Earlier this year, Mr George warned the Health Secretary, Jeremy Miles, that many rural practices were becoming financially unviable under the current funding formula.

And now, the two politicians have warned that if the Llanrhaeadr site were to close, many Tanat Valley residents would no longer live within a viable distance of a GP practice, with poor public transport and a high proportion of older patients, access would be severely affected.

Raising the issue in the Senedd again during questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care, Mr George argued that the current funding formula fails to reflect the higher costs and complexities of running multi-site rural practices that cover large areas with low population density.

Cllr Davies said the Llanfyllin Group Practice operates across three sites, serving nearly 12,000 patients over one of the largest geographical footprints in Wales, a point that the MS also reiterated in the Senedd.

Responding to Mr George, the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care, Jeremy Miles, acknowledged the importance of primary care in Powys and said the Welsh Government is making interventions to support rural practices.

He noted that he met Powys Teaching Health Board the previous week for a public accountability meeting in which “the importance of primary care was very, very central”.

Mr George said after the debate: “I warned the Health Secretary earlier this year that rural practices were becoming financially unviable under the current formula. Rural practices are carrying extra costs to keep doors open across large areas, without the additional financial support needed.

“If Llanrhaeadr loses its surgery, many people will have to travel an unacceptable distance to access a GP Surgery.

“Equally important, the funding model must be changed to recognise the real costs of delivering services in a rural area where practises have to operate over multiple sites.”

Responding to Mr George, Mr Miles said in the Senedd: “On the question of the formula more broadly, I expect to make a statement reasonably shortly in relation to where we are with GP negotiations, and I hope that will be able to address some of the points which the Member has made.”

Cllr Davies added: “The funding of rural GP practices has always been on a knife-edge, the Welsh Government funding formula, General Medical Services funding, simply does not allocate sufficient funding for rural GP practices to survive.

“The Llanfyllin Group Practice along with a dedicated team of district nurses deliver life-saving services and end-of-life care to so many of the residents across this very rural area. Delivering services in rural areas costs so much more, Welsh Government must take this into account and apply a ‘rural premium’ to the funding formula. Access to services here in rural areas is getting harder and harder every day.”