Dear Patient
We, The Partners, are writing to inform you of some important news regarding the practice, which we hope will enable us to keep providing a high standard of care, well into the future. The 27@Northgate and 28@Northgate practices are proposing to merge, and become one larger practice, called 'Northgate Health Centre’. It is planned the merger will happen on 1 April 2024. This letter explains what benefits we think this will bring and why we think a merger is necessary, but it is worth stating from the outset: the care you receive will remain much the same. We understand this may cause concern for some of you and hope we can answer some of your queries below.
Why is the merger happening?
It is no secret the NHS is under ever-increasing pressure, and General Practice is no exception. Both practices have seen a rise in demand in recent years; and as smaller practices, the high standard of care we strive for is becoming harder to provide; ultimately, this is unsustainable. As well, there have been some recent changes to the GP contract (determined by NHS England) around how and when care is delivered, and this has meant a rethink, and a reset.
What's the thinking behind the merger?
The merger will introduce resilience into our staff and services while allowing us to continue to provide a high-quality service. Put simply, by maintaining the same staffing levels we hope this will make delivering care to our patients more comprehensive and consistent. It will mean we are making better use of staff and resources, by creating more dedicated roles, and reducing work duplication. As well, we will have greater depth of cover within our combined teams, making day-to-day care more manageable.
What will this mean for your care?
The hope is this will consolidate your overall care, both in terms of quality and availability while maintaining continuity. You will still have access to your usual GPs; we plan to have two clinical teams, one for each practice. While there might be some crossover, the team responsible for your care will largely stay the same. This is because we recognise the advantages of the smaller practice setup: continuity of care; greater shared understanding; a more personal experience. These are elements we value, and want to preserve.
Will there be an opportunity to discuss this?
There will be a patient consultation before the proposed merger can go ahead. You will have the opportunity to submit questions and comments via an online proforma, on both practice websites. Following submissions, there will be an online Q&A with the practice teams on 9th January 2023 at 12.30 midday , please confirm your attendance and submit your comments and questions to either of the following methods and we will be in contact with the details for the meeting.
please confirm your name, contact details and which practice you are in on submission
Email: beaumontstreet28@nhs.net
Post: Mrs Sarah Szreider- Head of Business Administration & Finance, Northgate Health Centre, 15 Market Street, Oxford, OX1 3EF
The future of General Practice?
We understand you may have reservations about the proposed merger. This is not a decision we have taken lightly; both practices have weighed carefully the pros and cons. But two stark facts remain: General Practice as we know it is under threat; and there is safety in numbers. We are not alone in this position; practices around the UK are having to adapt to survive. Our chief considerations are our patients and our staff: we want this to keep being the case, and so we see change as necessary.
We look forward to discussing your ideas on the merger, as we meet this challenge together.
Yours faithfully
Partners of 27@Northgate & 28@Northgate
Dr Matthew Easdale, Dr Rachel Allan, Dr Adam Prewett, Dr Wan Jauhari, Prof Richard McManus, Dr David McCartney & Dr Simon Clough
Published: Dec 21, 2023