The residents of Hightown stood outside Wenlock Surgery after Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes Integrated Care Board sent a letter to patients announcing the closure.
Video from Luton Keeping Safe Facebook group
Video from Luton Keeping Safe Facebook group
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NewsTranscript
00:00 Hi, we're standing outside Wenlock Surgery. I'm myself Catherine de Souza, my husband John de Souza.
00:07 We've been here for 38 years. We've got four daughters, ten grandchildren who are already going to this surgery.
00:14 This surgery closing down is going to be a great impact on us. My husband's terribly ill. He's under the care of Harefield, he's under palliative care.
00:21 Dr. Sally has been so patient with us. He's more of a friend than a doctor. He's been patient, he's caring, he's loving and we will be devastated if this place closes.
00:33 Where are we going to go? How far do we have to travel? Please do not close this surgery. I'm begging you.
00:39 Please sign a petition. If you put a petition up, please everyone sign it and please most of all share this petition.
00:46 The more signatures we get the better. Thank you very much.
00:51 I've been at the surgery of Dr. Sally and the first doctor was Dr. Graham in Hightown.
00:57 77 years, all my children have been here, my mother, my father, my grandparents and they've all been in the same surgery for all the years going back as far as I can remember.
01:08 Dr. Sally is a very good doctor. He will answer every question you ask. He will always help you whether you need it or not and he will always, always answer your questions, whichever you ask. Thank you.
01:21 Hello, my name is Betty Keeler. I live in Milliner Court just there. Well I tell you what, I've been here six years and that doctor, I tell you what, he is the best ever doctor.
01:35 He will open his screen for us. He will open, oh he's going to stop.
01:42 Save our surgery! Save our surgery!
01:46 Go to the surgery for the week.
01:49 Right. Hang on.
01:51 So anyway, I've been here six years. Now I'm worried, I'm worried about myself, right, but I'm worried about myself.
01:58 I'm going to be 80 next year and I'm very fortunate, I'm very, you know, quite good. But I tell you what's worrying me because in this area I've got grandchildren and all that.
02:08 Now when the kids get sick and the mums have to pay the fares to go on the bus, some mums are not going to be able to afford those fares and those children will not, they won't be able to afford to take them into town or wherever else they've got to go.
02:23 The children are going to suffer, I swear to God, the children will suffer.
02:28 Because I've been in that situation myself. I brought up four children and if I couldn't have walked to the doctors, right, here in Hockwell Ring, I couldn't have afforded to take my children on the bus for the bus fare.
02:41 I would have had to take them all with me. So it's powerful myself, I'm very good, but I'm worried about the mums and the children are going to suffer.
02:49 Thank you very much.
02:51 Thank you.
02:53 Hello, my name is Theresa Tipper and I've lived up here for 42 years. I've been with this practice since I came to Leeds and I absolutely adore them, they're brilliant and I mean this sincerely, we don't know what we're going to do without them.
03:07 We don't know where we're going to go. Where at my age do I go to get a prescription done or anything?
03:13 I don't know what, we're absolutely at a loose end, we don't know what to do. We're terrified.
03:21 Hi, I'm Jane and I'm four years old and that's how long I've been with this surgery.
03:27 We're three generations of our family have been here. Dr Sally is absolutely amazing, the receptionist, they're so personable.
03:35 Nishal who works in the pharmacy, the chemist is so good, he knows over the counter stuff, what medication we're on and to lose this would be such a shame.
03:47 We're the Aqib family, we've been with Dr Sally for the past 25 years, the best surgery ever. This is the only surgery that we know, the only GP that we know.
03:56 Dr Sally is the most amazing GP, nothing is too much for him. He will spend time with you as much as you need him.
04:05 He's very detailed, he's really concerned about people. He's just a people doctor. I don't know what we're going to do without him.
04:11 My children are going to miss him so well and at the minute we don't even know where we're going to be taken to.
04:16 So that's a big concern for us. So really, please sign the petition. Save our surgery, please we're begging, please.
04:24 So my name is Abby, I've been using this surgery for over 10 years now. Dr Sally and his team have been very exceptional.
04:36 This is one surgery that I know that you can call for a day appointment and you get an appointment same day as long as you call within the right window when appointments are open.
04:46 Compared to my other families and friends that complain that they don't get appointments for weeks from their GP.
04:53 And every time we call, we always get an appointment and our cases are always listened to. It's a family surgery for us.
05:01 Myself, my children, our parents use the same surgery so I really don't see a need why this surgery can close down when it's beneficial to the whole community. Thank you.
05:13 And lastly, please make sure you sign the petition to keep this surgery open because it's important for all of us to have easy access to healthcare. Thank you.
05:22 Hi, my name is Bradley. I've been doing this surgery for about 20 years and it's been part of my family for like the whole of the last couple of generations.
05:29 Dr Scully is more than a family doctor, he's a family friend. He's looked after me through generations as well as my own personal grief for my mum and my grandparents.
05:37 He's done some wonders for myself and I need him to still be here when I need him. Thank you.
05:42 And don't forget, please sign the petition and help us out.