GP surgery merger plan sparks anger
Up to 14,000 patients could be affected by the merging of two Sunderland GP surgeries just yards from each other.
Church View Medical Centre and Colliery Medical Group, based next door at Silksworth Health Centre, will no longer provide GP services from October.
NHS Sunderland Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) is now looking to find a replacement to take over the services, which will be merged into one practice.
However, the CCG has reassured patients that they can continue to use existing services as normal ahead of the changes.
Dr Ian Pattison, a local GP and Chair of NHS Sunderland Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), said: “The current providers at Church View and Colliery Medical Centre have notified us that they no longer wish to provide GP services after September 30, 2017, which means that we will need to seek a new provider.
“I would like to reassure patients that they do not need to take any action, as they can continue to access services at the two practices as normal.
“We will be writing to patients to provide further information.
Silksworth Ward Coun Phil Tye said he has been inundated with calls from worried patients after they heard rumours about the future of their surgeries.
“It’s absolutely disgrace- ful,” he said.
“We attended a meeting three to four weeks ago with the CCG and nothing was said.”
City Hospitals Sunderland, which runs Church View Medical Practice, said: “The Trust has made the decision at this point in time to no longer provide GP services as it wishes to focus on its strategic objective of ensuring high quality and sustainable hospital services, in partnership with South Tyneside NHS Foundation Trust.
“We are working very closely with Sunderland CCG and NHS England colleagues to ensure there will be minimal disruption to both patients and staff working in the practice whilst the process for re-provision of the service is undertaken.”