Community response from Langbank Community Council (LCC) in respect of the consultation following the proposed closure of the New Surgery at Station Road Langbank.
Following the meeting of Langbank Community Council on 14th May 2025, at which Dr. Hector MacDonald, Dr. Alan Best, Dr. Barry McCusker and Dr. Kim Stark, were in attendance a number of concerns were raised in respect of the proposal to close the surgery at Station Road, Langbank. Since that date several other issues have been raised in respect of this matter, which have also been included in our list of concerns below. As per request from Dr MacDonald and Dr Best at this meeting individuals have been asked not to contact the Inverclyde HSCP directly, but indeed that it will be viewed that the concerns outlined her are representative of the majority of those impacted. To date there has been no correspondence to the LCC stating that someone is fully in support of the proposal.
• Lack of public transport (arguably the single most significant concern).
No direct public transport links between Langbank and Kilmacolm and therefore for anyone who doesn’t drive, or perhaps is unable to drive due to current health conditions, the journey to see a doctor becomes difficult and involves a train and bus journey – with a walk in between.
Based on current timetable the shortest journey time (assuming you can run between Port Glasgow train station and bus depot in 8 minutes and your appointment time matches with public transport times!) is approximately 30 minutes, however more realistically (depending on time of day) you would need to leave Langbank AT LEAST one hour ahead of your appointment time, which for someone who is ill, may be very difficult.
As well as being limited the public transport can be unreliable, with trains often cancelled at very short notice. There is NO ALTERNATIVE public transport from Langbank should trains be cancelled/significantly delayed.
It must be noted that in the questionnaire from the surgery there is a question which asks if you have a car – unfortunately this question does not recognise the difficulties faced by those who have a car BUT are unable to drive due to current health condition, therefore it cannot be assumed that because a patient has a car they will be able to easily access the surgery.
Even for those with access to a car the drive to Kilmacolm can be off-putting, especially during winter months. One elderly patient has already stated that “at my age I wouldn’t want to change doctor, but I don’t like driving that road to Kilmacolm in summer so in winter I would just try to manage any health condition as best as I can”.
With 20% of the current patients over 65 – and with this number likely to increase – it is worrying that the most vulnerable in the community may choose to do similar. The poor transport network and lack of services means that there is already a number of residents suffering as a result of social isolation. The closure of another vital service is likely to increase this social isolation for our most vulnerable.
Poor public transport is something the New Surgery is aware of, and the advice given is: ‘If you feel you cannot travel to Kilmacolm, you may wish to register with another GP practice’. The only alternative for someone without a car may indeed be to move practice. This could be very detrimental to some of our residents, particularly those undergoing treatment for conditions which require regular appointments.
Car parking in Kilmacolm can be extremely difficult which is an additional problem for elderly, disabled or less able patients. This would also impact on the local community of Kilmacolm.
Child appointments become more problematic, particularly if being taken out of school to attend an appointment. This results in greater inconvenience and importantly additional lost learning time, with a round trip from Langbank Primary school to the surgery in Langbank being considerably less than
one to Kilmacolm. For secondary pupils it would involve a trip to Erskine to collect child as well as round trip to Kilmacolm.
• Concerns around alternative practices.
It is fair to say that many members of the community were surprised to learn that joining a GP practice in Bishopton, would not be an option for residents of Langbank as it is within our local council boundary, however due to the existing issues with sheer volume of patients at this practice, then it would not have been a suitable alternative anyway. However concerns were raised around Renfrewshire Council’s lack of commitment to Langbank and inability to provide an alternative solution. One example given was for the surgery at Langbank to become a satellite surgery for the Bishopton Practice.
The community were concerned that increasing numbers joining the practices in Port Glasgow would potentially put their service under strain. Questions were raised as to why the patients of these practices had not been consulted, particularly at a time when there is a spotlight on GP practices and the pressure they are under to reduce waiting times for appointments and provide an efficient and effective service; when the Scottish Government are state they are committed to ensuring that care and services are delivered closer to home.
• Loss of local chemist facility
The closure of this facility, whereby disappointing, was of lesser concern, however still not without some issues. Medication can be delivered to your home if you are unable to attend a local chemist, however there may be a charge for this depending on the dispensing chemist. Travel again is an issue.
• Longterm viability of The New Surgery Kilmacolm
At the meeting of 14th May the majority did understand that the decision of the doctors and practice manager was a business decision – based on the fact that the New Surgery could no longer afford the overheads of two premises – however it was unanimously agreed that the closure would be detrimental to the village and that it would be in the interest of all to seek an alternative solution. Further to the meeting feedback continues to be concern that the physical, social and emotional well being of residents should not be secondary to profits, although it is understood that Inverclyde HSCP may have to refer to NHSGGC for further consideration.
If the decision is based on business viability then the impact on the New Surgery overall must be taken into consideration. At the meeting we were advised that in general a GP practice with less than 3000 patients is not commercially viable. Should the New Surgery lose 900 patients from Langbank (this is unlikely to happen immediately but as Langbank has an ageing population, it is unlikely that as new families move into the village they would join a practice in Kilmacolm rather than one in Port Glasgow) then this would take their patient numbers to 2700 (as per current information provided by The New Surgery). This 2700 is below the threshold population for commercial viability therefore must surely risk the future of the surgery.
Many thanks in advance for your consideration of the above concerns in relation to the proposed closure of Langbank Surgery.
Jacqueline Doherty,
Chairperson, Langbank Community Council.