Figures used in an official report about the numbers using the Greyfriars Medical Clinic have been called into question by staff at the walk in centre.
It is claimed statistics the NHS Great Yarmouth and Waveney Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) based their decision to close the walk-in centre and GP surgery in Howard Street South were wrongly interpreted and under-represent the numbers using the services.
At a meeting of the CCG governing body last week, health bosses decided to close the clinic citing low attendance in the 2014/15 financial year as a reason. However members of staff at the clinic, which opened seven years ago at a cost of £8m, said they went through their own data which showed more patients used the facilities than the report suggested.
A spokesman for the CCG said: 'The data which our governing body discussed was taken directly from a national reporting database, and is submitted to this database by the practice. The governing body will review all of the available data, including the most recently submitted figures, at its meeting in July.'
Practice manager Yvonne Ellis revealed staff had been devastated by the news of the unit's closure and it was a blow for patients.
'Rumours were going round the clinic was going to close. We were the last to find out, the other surgeries in the area found out before us.'
She added some of the staff were already looking for other work.
'Can you blame them?, she added: 'They have mortgages and families and they need to work. Come August we might not have anyone left.'
Concerns were raised in the report at last week's CCG meeting that Greyfriars staff could leave before its planned closure date in September and alternative provisions may have to be brought in.
The report stated: 'There is a risk that staff providing services may find alternative employment impacting the ability of Greyfriars to provide services.
'Should this be the case, provision for walk-in services can be provided through the model highlighted with our out of hours provider asked to implement the new model sooner.'
When the CCG announced the decision to close Southwold Hospital, in Suffolk, last year, staffing levels fell to such a level the hospital was forced to be wound up earlier than planned.
Have you been helped by the Greyfrairs Medical Clinic? Email george.ryan@archant.co.uk
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