Health chiefs face challengge of persuading GP's to live and work in the Calder Valley

The Calder Valley, with major settlements Todmorden, Hebden Bridge and Mytholmroyd, is a beautiful place – but recruiting staff, GPs and nurse practitioners, in particular is a headache, heard Calderdale Council’s Adults, Health and Social Care Scrutiny Board.

Board Chair Coun Howard Blagbrough (Con, Brighouse) and ward councillor Coun Steve Sweeney (Lab, Todmorden) presented a report to the board highlighting the problem, which affects services.

To keep a walk-in practice at Todmorden open, Calderdale Clinical Commissioning Group had to agree to extend an expensive alternative medical provider service supplied by Locala, which was pleasing.

But there are particular problems recruiting GPs and other staff, including nurse practitioners

Looking ahead, the introduction of Primary Care Networks brings a great opportunity to take a broader look at the health and care needs of people in the upper Calder Valley, including greater co-ordination of access arrangements at practices and improving the offer at the purpose built Todmorden Health Centre Building at Lower George Street, which is described as “under utilised.”

Coun Mike Barnes (Lab, Skircoat) said the biggest issue raised in the report was the problem of recruitment.

“I’m not sure that issue is going to go away very soon.

“Have we actually asked people why they don’t want to come and work in Todmorden and the upper valley?

“It’s roughly half way between Leeds and Manchester, it’s a beautiful part of Calderdale, it’s a very nice place to live and it should connect with people all around the area,” he said.

Hebden Bridge GP Nigel Taylor said the area’s appeal was not attracting younger staff.

Just two weeks ago a young GP had been interviewed and offered a job but had replied that he had changed his mind and it was too far away for him – he did not want to commute from Bradford.

Chief Finance Officer and Deputy Chief Officer of Calderdale CCG, Neil Smurthwaite, said there was no trouble recruiting for other parts of Calderdale.

Coun Colin Hutchinson (Lab, Skircoat) asked how far the upper valley practices were involved in GP training which could bring young GPs to the area.

Dr Taylor said Todmorden was an existing training practice and Hebden Bridge had been in the past, looking ahead he hoped both would remain so.

But at the moment the scheme was “on hiatus” as the trainers had moved on and one GP was training to become a trainer, he said.

At Hebden Bridge group practice, the number of GPs has reduced from 12 to seven in the last three years with only one GP recruited in that time and gaps filled by advanced practitioners – at the moment there are four Nurse Practitioners and one Pharmacy Practitioner.

At Todmorden Group Practice there are seven GPs, three of which are partners, with only one full time equivalent, all the rest being part time, says the report.