Councillors pay tribute to campaigner who 'led the charge' for GP services in Upper Lighthorne

Shire Hall in Warwick. Photo by Mike Baker

Councillors have paid tribute to the campaigner who “led the charge” for GP services in Upper Lighthorne with his labour about to bear fruit.

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Andy Smith, the former chair of Lighthorne Parish Council, was heralded at this week’s meeting of Warwickshire County Council’s adult social care and health overview and scrutiny committee having pushed for the new provision since land was allocated for 3,000 new homes near Gaydon and Lighthorne Heath in July 2016.

Doubt was cast over whether any – even temporary – provision would come forward through Coventry & Warwickshire NHS Integrated Care Board (ICB), the organisation that commissions health services in the area, and its forerunner Coventry & Warwickshire NHS Clinical Commissioning Board.

The tide began to turn in January 2023 and while progress was still slow throughout that year, it was confirmed in April this year that a GP had been offered the contract subject to ratification by the ICB.

Councillor Chris Mills (Con, Kineton & Red Horse) said: “It has been agreed that there is going to be primary health care at Upper Lighthorne.

“A GP has been chosen, I don’t know who it is, and we are going to have a meeting with Sir Jeremy Wright (Conservative MP for Kenilworth & Southam) and the ICB on May 3.

“We are going to get more information then but I would like to add that this has all come about through the work that Andy Smith from Lighthorne has put into this.

“He has led the charge, he has lost many nights of sleep over it and has worked tirelessly.

“It has been a collective thing that has involved a lot of people but he is the one who has really led the charge and great credit to him.”

Committee chair Councillor Jo Barker (Con, Shipston) “It segues into the stuff that I have been talking about with the Ellen Badger Hospital (Shipston-on-Stour) and how important it is for those of us who are involved to keep up the pressure in relation to the services that we need in our communities.”