Sir – Your front page story ‘GP centres to merge’ (Herald, Nov 25) focused on the growth of Grove and the new trend of big GP practices with many doctors. While I am sure this is an inevitable fact of life today, I would like to pay tribute to Dr Andrew Allen and his staff at Grove Medical Centre.
Despite the increasing NHS paperwork you mention, and lacking a second full-time GP this year, the standard of care received by patients has been exceptional.
Tribute must be paid personally to Dr Allen. I’ve known him professionally as a former curate of Grove, and as a patient for six years. His warm, empathetic manner and his capacity to give patients quality time has been experienced by all who consult him, even when the practice has been at full stretch this past year.
Big GP practices may be the future, but I hope not to the detriment of the experience that patients receive from small GP surgeries like Grove Medical Centre.
Rev Paul Eddy
Vicar of Stanford in the Vale
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