A HEALTH board has issued a statement to allay concerns in communities served by three medical surgeries.

The issue of Hillcrest Medical Centre was raised at a meeting of Caia Park Community Council this week.

Councillors said residents had come to them with concerns about what is happening at the centre after they had received letters.

Betsi Cadwalader University Heath Board issued a statement to explain that the GP partners running Hillcrest, as well as Forge Road Surgery and Borras Park Surgery, had resigned.

The practice will transfer to the health board on June 1, after which there will be a review process to improve services across the three sites.

Simon Jones, Assistant Director of Primary Care and Commissioning for the East Area of BCUHB, said: “The GP partners at Hillcrest Medical Centre, Forge Road Surgery and Borras Park Surgery in Wrexham have reached the decision to resign their General Medical Services contract with the Health Board in order to pursue other opportunities.

“After management of the practice transfers over to BCUHB on 1st June 2021, there will be a period of consolidation and review. We will be working closely with staff to consider where improvements can be made to the delivery of services across the surgery sites, for the benefit of all patients.

“We have also been in contact with patients and local councillors and we are fully committed to involving them in decisions about the future development of the practice. A further letter will be sent out next week to update them on progress.”

The issue was discussed at Caia Park Community Council, with councillors agreeing to put the item of the agenda for next month and to seek answers from the health board.

Newly re-elected chairman of the council, Malcolm King said: "For a lot of people this is pretty vital stuff."

He added: "I've collected a number of complaints over the years about not the most brilliant service from there, particularly getting appointments and reception issues.

"The health board is taking it under its wing, but I wonder, given that we've made a foray into health issues with the mental health project that we're partly sponsoring, whether we ought put this on the agenda for the next meeting and whether community councillors can bring some knowledge to the table.

"It's obviously a major problem. There are a lot of people from Caia Park that go to the Hillcrest surgery and I am getting an increased number of people that are finding it increasingly problematic."