1. Please provide copies of correspondence between Devon County Council (DCC) or its representatives and The Heavitree Centre (including Friends of Heavitree Health Centre) prior to the implementation of the current trial .
Please refer to this collated correspondence document. You can access the slideshow mentioned in the document here.
You will notice some redactions to this document. This information is exempt under Section 40(2) of the Freedom of Information Act (Personal Data).
Devon County Council cannot disclose personal information, if releasing it would contravene any of the provisions in the Data Protection Act 2018. In this instance, release of this information would be a contravention of the first data protection principle and therefore Section 40(2) is applied.
2. What prior consultation took place?
Devon County Council representatives met with the co-ordinator of the Friends of Heavitree Health Centre and the managers of South Lawn and Heavitree Medical Practices on 5 June 2023.
3. What patient concerns were raised by the Practice Managers?
Meeting attendees noted that the proposed scheme may cause difficulty for:
• GPs making home visits
• Volunteer drivers bringing patients to the health centre
• Patients driving themselves to the health centre
• Patients travelling by bus or taxi, who may be delayed in the increased traffic on the radial routes, potentially resulting in missed appointments
Attendees also raised concerns about the lack of a direct vehicular link between the Health Centre and Whipton Hospital, as patients often travel between the two. Additionally, it was noted that the scheme may lead to patients moving to different surgeries, reducing income for the practices, and that the scheme may increase traffic passing the surgery.
4. What mitigating measures were taken in response to any raised concerns?
A Manual Classified Count was arranged for the junction of South Lawn Terrace and North Street, to quantify the extent of any changes in traffic volumes on South Lawn Terrace. Measures to mitigate impacts on people travelling by taxi are currently under consideration by the Council.
It was also agreed to arrange a follow-up meeting if/when the scheme was approved and implemented, to determine whether the abovementioned concerns have been realised and thus inform any decision regarding next steps.