A STAFFING crisis which is “threatening the lives of thousands of patients” needs to be addressed according to local councillors and scores of readers.

Beggarwood Surgery, in Broadmere Road, has admitted that it needs new staff after a number employees resigned last month.

Beggarwood and Hatch Warren councillor, Cllr Terri Reid said the situation was “a medical emergency”.

She has called for a review into the surgery and pleaded for it to “give a statement of intent surrounding its future”.

The Gazette has attempted to contact IMH, which manages the surgery, on several occasions, but a representative of the business said “if we were interested in commenting, we would have said something.”

Last week the surgery was criticised by patients and former employees amid concerns that “all of its GPs had resigned, with other staff members being made redundant”.

One former employee, who wished to remain anonymous, said the “GPs are under so much stress they feel they are unable to continue to provide a satisfactory service.”

Cllr Reid added patients had been contacting her throughout the week asking how they could move surgeries and complaining about the ongoing situation.

She said: “I find it infuriating that all of the organisations involved are hiding.

“Some are saying they won’t comment because of purdah [a pre-election state where bodies are unable to comment on political matters]. “But this is a medical emergency.”

Cllr Reid added: “All we seem to get are these bland statements from the surgery or from North Hampshire Clinical Commissioning Group.

“It’s not good enough. It’s time for them to stand up and tell patients, who are rightly concerned, what is going on and what their plan is.”

A statement from Beggarwood Surgery said “it was working hard to ensure that patients will continue to receive the quality care they have been accustomed to”.

It added: “There are plans in place to ensure that we have sufficient GPs to continue the same level of care that we provide to all our patients.”

Patients have contacted The Gazette to express their anger over extended waiting times at the surgery. One patient, who wished to remain anonymous, said “thousands of lives were at risk”.

Last August, Beggarwood Surgery came under fire after it was given a “requires improvement” by the Care Quality Commission.

NHS England said it was “aware that resignations have been tendered” and “that the practice has an active recruitment programme underway.”

It added: “We are working with the practice to ensure that all patients continue to access safe, high quality care.”