Vince Cable

At a packed and anxious meeting of over 300 people at Hampton's White House Community Centre, local health chiefs unveiled a rescue plan for the 1700 residents who have been de-registered by the main Hampton practice (the Hampton Medical Centre). Dr Dhalla in Broad Lane will take on 1000 of the patients and is trying to recruit an extra doctor to cope with the workload; 700 others, who are currently receiving treatment at HMC, or have members of the family registered there, will remain at HMC.

Vincent Cable, MP, who attended both the public meetings in Hampton and met local health chiefs last week to try to find a satisfactory solution, said that "a disaster has been narrowly averted. Dr Dhallo is a highly regarded and local GP. But the way this whole episode has been handled beggars belief. Residents cannot understand how local doctors can be allowed to throw hundreds of patients off their register, causing alarm and anxiety, while the authorities then work out what to do about it. There is also continuing annoyance that residents are being left with little choice but are being presented with a fait accompli".