Did Ben Gummer, Tory MP secure new doctor's premises?

Quite surprised this week to receive a Tory leaflet, even with a Tory MP in Ipswich that is the first leaflet I had received for almost a year.

It was called, ‘Ben’s Bulletin’ and the whole content is about Ipswich Hospital and health issues- nothing on education, jobs or the economy and definitely nothing about Sure Start Children’s centres!

There is no doubt that Mr Gummer has campaigned for improvements to the hospital but at least one his claims of success on the health front seems to be over exaggerated to say the least.

He claims to have secured a new doctor’s premises for North East Ipswich; this will see a merger between the Woodbridge Road practice and the Lattice Barn practice. Both will move to a new site on land owned by Ipswich Borough Council – the West Villa- currently where homeless families are sheltered.

Discussions have been going on for some considerable time between our Labour administration, the surgeries and also a Housing Association. We (IBC) have been keen to help the local surgeries move to new premises but we also had to find new homes for those who both currently use the facilities at West Villa or those who may need to use the service in the future. Once that new accommodation was secured we could then agree a plan with the two surgeries.

So where does Mr Gummer come into all this? Good question, I have been informed he did write to the council in support of the proposals to merge the two surgeries but I believe that is all he has done (he did more than this - see update below), I can’t see how writing a couple of letters suddenly becomes in his leaflet: “Ben was pleased to recently secure new doctor’s premises in NE Ipswich”

Distorting the true facts?

Must be an election soon!

UPDATE:

I have been contacted by Mr Gummer who has explained that he helped secure the new practice location due to his extensive lobbying of NHS England to secure much needed funding, I am happy to add that and also I am happy to thank our local MP for helping secure the new location but maybe he should have put in his 'Ben's Bulletin' that he had helped secure the new doctor's premises working alongside Labour run IBC and two existing doctor's practices?