Health board say ‘no evidence’ Melton should get second GP surgery
Melton Mowbray has no need for a second GP surgery, according to the local health authority.
Health chiefs at the Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland Integrated Care Board (ICB) say the town shouldn’t be prioritised for a new practice despite pleas from councillors and local residents.
It comes after a new GP practice was last year put on hold until February 2027, following the ICB’s announcement that there was no funding for the scheme.
The town currently has only one GP surgery – Latham House Medical Practice, which has over 35,000 patients.
According to new documents set to be presented to Leicestershire County Council’s Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee, the ICB was asked to provide data regarding access to GP practices in Melton.
It found that appointments increased by 6.3 per cent to 289,084 in 2025, compared to 271,866 in 2024/2025.
The appointment rate had increased by 18 appointments, to 566 per 1,000 patients, in 2025 while face-to-face appointments decreased by 0.1 per cent.
The type of appointment offered was 60 per cent face-to-face compared to 40 per cent remote appointments.
The ICB also stated that data showed a 3.19 per cent increase in patient registrations at the current Melton practice, on Sage Cross Street, between 2020 and August 2025.
In a report to the Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee, the ICB said that there is ‘no evidence that Melton should be prioritised above other areas across LLR for investment in additional Primary Care service provision’.
It added: “Perceived decrease in availability of general practice appointments is a national issue, although data suggests that more appointments are available and being delivered now per registered patient than ever before”.
The ICB and Melton Borough Council have also explored locating a new surgery as part of a new-build leisure centre, in part of Melton Borough Council’s offices in Parkside and at Phoenix House.
However, it has said none of the options was ‘financially viable even when accounting for the Section 106 developer contributions’.
A spokesperson for the Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland ICB said: “The ICB continues to work with Melton Borough Council to support ongoing work on access and service capacity for Melton residents.
“We are also working with Latham House to increase the ways the practice can support local residents, including a new digital suite at the main site and an approved redevelopment of a property owned by the practice on Sherrard Street to extend clinical services.”
Paul Crosbie, executive manager Latham House Medical Practice, told the Melton Times: “We understand that many patients are frustrated about access to GP appointments, and we are sorry when care feels difficult to obtain.
"As a practice team, we remain committed to providing safe, high-quality care and to improving access wherever possible within the current NHS system.”
Mr Crosbie highlighted the 18,000 extra appointments GPs delivered locally in 2025 but he added that ‘more than 8,000 appointments were not attended, which directly affects waiting times’.
"Reducing missed appointments remains a key focus for us,” he added.
“Decisions about whether or when a second GP practice opens in the town sit with the Integrated Care Board, not with our practice, and we are not involved in that planning process.
"Our focus remains on continuing to improve the services we provide for our patients now.”