GP services are settobeaxed
GP PRACTICES in the area may have to take on patients from five Calderdale surgeries operated by two providers, if a final decision is made early next year to end the contracts in March 2020.
Calderdale Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) has confirmed it has begun a formal consultation into plans for its Alternative Provider Medical Services practice contracts so it can understand the impact of them ending.
The contracts affect thousands of patients who use practices run by Meadow Dale Group Practice, delivered by Virgincare in Ovenden, Elland and Sowerby Bridge, and Park and Calder Community Practice, delivered by Locala in central Halifax and Todmorden.
It is the CCG’s belief that it can better value for money by making changes because the type of contract these services were provided under cost around double the amount of a standard one.
Patients were told closure was the option being considered but many are expressing concern, including on social media, about their healthcare in the future and pressure on other GP services.
A spokesman for Calderdale CCG said it was planning to provide patients’ healthcare through “locally managed dispersal”.
He said: “We cannot renew the APMS contracts again and we have not found another organisation to deliver GP services through a regular GP contract, however we will try again to find a solution for the affected patients.
“We want to make sure patients have a long term solution for their GP services.
“The APMS contracts are not good value for money. They cost up to double the amount of regular GP contracts and not enough patients have registered with them across Calderdale.”
He said the CCG is planning something called a “locally managed dispersal”.
“This is when we register patients with a different GP practice based on their postcode,” he said.
“This means everyone will have a GP and don’t have to do anything themselves. The CCG will register patients and tell them who their new GP practice is.
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