Decision to relocate GP Surgery is withdrawn, following threat of judicial review proceedings

A decision by the Barnet Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) to move a North London GP’s surgery to a new location 3.2 miles away has been withdrawn in the face of the threat of judicial review proceedings.

The highly controversial decision to move a longstanding well-established GP’s surgery from its present site to new accommodation within the Finchley Memorial Hospital was withdrawn on 24th October 2019.  The impugned decision was the subject of very significant opposition by existing patients who would have faced a 6-mile round trip to the new location. Barnet CCG had previously rejected a bid from a number of surgeries significantly closer in location to the hospital. The intended judicial review claim took issue with the legality of the consultation process together with the point-scoring assessments undertaken by the CCG.

David Lemer, instructed by Michael Imperato of Watkins Gunn Solicitors, advised the campaigners.

The story has received widespread media coverage, including in The Mirror and The Ham & High.