East Lindsey GP practices propose merger and launch consultation

Three GP practices in the East Lindsey locality of Lincolnshire East Clinical Commissioning Group have today, Monday 26 June 2017, launched a three-month consultation on their proposed merger.

New Coningsby Surgery, Newmarket Medical Practice, and The Wolds Practice have decided to propose a merger and are encouraging their registered patients to share their views on the practices’ proposal, either via a survey available online www.surveymonkey.com/r/proposedmergerEastLor as a hard copy in each of the three practices, and/or by attending one of a series of planned events.

Dr Yvonne Owen, GP and Senior Partner at The Wolds Practice, said: “Having given this very careful consideration the three practices are putting forward a proposal to merge because we think it will be the best move we can make to protect and enhance GP services for our patients in the future, and be the most cost-effective means of moving forwards in a sustainable and resilient way.”

Crucially, the proposed merger will not see any of the three GP practices close their doors, and they will continue to operate during their current opening hours. Patients will still be able to see their preferred GP.

It is envisaged that the merger will safeguard the future of GP services locally and, as the larger merged practice develops in the future, patients will be able to access a wider range of services across the three sites.

Dr Owen said: “Our patients are always our number one priority.

“We genuinely see a practice merger as a positive move, since it will ensure we can deliver sustainable healthcare, protect the provision of local GP services, and provide continuity of care.

“In addition, we believe that merging will allow us to support our vision for the future of General Practice locally in East Lindsey, as it will enable us to have a flexible and adaptable means of managing increasing activity, build an organisation that can respond and manage the continuously changing environment in primary care, and increase our opportunities to provide a wider range of services and access for our patients.”

The three practices will be running a series of events for patients to attend, each of which will involve a presentation on their proposal to merge, and the opportunity for a Q&A session with practice representatives:

Monday July 3 at 1pm - Trinity Centre, Louth

Tuesday July 4 at 7pm - Hamilton Hall, Tetford

Monday July 24 at 1pm – Coningsby Community Hall

Tuesday July 25 at 7pm - Coningsby Community Hall

Monday July 31 at 7pm - Trinity Centre, Louth

Tuesday August 1 at 1pm - Hamilton Hall, Tetford

Monday August 7 at 7pm – Tattershall Village Hall

All of the venues chosen for the events are fully accessible.

Dr Owen added: “The three month consultation on our proposal to merge will run from Monday June 26 until Monday September 25 and we urge all of our patients to read the available information and share their views with us, by attending one of our events and completing the survey.”