Doctors’ practices to merge in health shake-up

FOUR GP practices are set to merge in a move which will affect 30,000 patients in a seaside town.

Scarborough’s Belgrave, Falsgrave, Peasholm and Prospect Road surgeries will go ahead with the merger on April 9.

It will see the practices operate as a new partnership called Central Healthcare and pool resources to help meet rising demand from patients. The practices will continue to offer appointments from their current premises.

Dr Ruth Guest, one of six GP partners set to run the new organisation, said: “There’s enormous pressure in primary care at the moment and if we were to continue working as we were, as small isolated practices, we would struggle to provide a high quality, responsive and safe service to patients.

“This merger gives us the opportunity to provide patients with an enhanced service which makes the best use of equipment, experience, expertise and other resources, while keeping administrative costs down.

“A larger entity should also make it easier to recruit doctors and nurses, with better training and career development on offer.”

NHS Scarborough and Ryedale Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) said there would be no redundances following the merger, although some staff would take on different roles. A new website will be launched to help patients book appointments and order medicines.

Sally Brown, the CCG’s Primary Care Lead, said: “The merger will bring about significant benefits for patients, including greater access to different health and social care professionals.

“There’s scope for more specialisms to be introduced, as well as additional clinics and appointment slots at evenings and weekends. This is a welcome step that secures the provision of GP services in Scarborough.”