Camden News: Camden Road Surgery | UnitedHealth | Crowndale Health Centre | Collette Drysdale

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Camden News - by TOM FOOT
Published: 22 May 2008

Collette Drysdale with Kezia

Campaign saves surgery baby clinic

A BABY clinic at one of the doctors’ surgery taken over by an American company has been saved following a parent campaign.
Parents using the Camden Road Surgery in Camden Town were angry after being told to travel to the Crowndale Health Centre in Mornington Crescent after the specialist running the popular walk-in service retired last month.
UnitedHealth, which won the contract to run three surgeries in Camden after claiming it could provide the same service for less than local doctors, confirmed last night (Wednesday) it would not find a replacement, relying on a GP working in the surgery to cover the clinic.
Collette Drysdale, 39, (pictured with Kezia), said: “All the parents with young children at the surgery are very frustrated. It was a good and popular service. There are lots of changes since the American company took over and everyone is upset. We were told everything was going to be the same but it isn’t.”
UnitedHealth took control in April, along with two other practices in the south of the borough, despite public opposition. Camden PCT said the company – part of the largest healthcare provider in the US – had been chosen because it was best placed to provide patient services.
Ms Drysdale, a theology student who lives in Agar Grove, added: “Part of the problem is that the doctors at Crowndale are angry because they already have too many babies to deal with. I have been twice this month, it is very rushed there. Also, it just doesn’t feel right because we are not patients at Crowndale and the doctors do not know us.”
A spokesman for UnitedHealth said: “We want to reassure mums and dads that the Tuesday baby clinic will be continuing.
“It will be run by a GP and will carry on providing access to
key services like immuniSations.
“We would positively encourage parents to continue bringing their children in.”

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