A GP practice caring for more than 5,700 patients in the Manchester area will close next month after the local ICB was unable to recruit new doctors to run it.
NHS Greater Manchester announced it took the ‘difficult decision’ to close Grove Medical Practice, based at Timperley Medical Centre in Trafford, on 30 September.
In July last year, Dr Devang Shah decided to retire from his role at the surgery, and Delamere Medical Practice in Stretford took over the contract as caretakers. But the ICB said that this arrangement is ‘now coming to an end’.
Dr Manish Prasad, associate medical director at NHS Greater Manchester Integrated Care, told Pulse: ‘The difficult decision has been taken to close Grove Medical Practice on Saturday 30 September 2023.
‘This followed the retirement of Dr Shah and subsequent caretaking arrangements in place at the practice which are now coming to an end.
‘NHS Greater Manchester Integrated Care know people will understandably be concerned and I want to reassure patients that our priority is to make sure everyone receives clear information and continuity of care.’
Dr Prasad said that the ICB are working with neighbouring GP practices, two of which operate from the same building as the practice which is closing, to automatically register patients from Grove Medical Practice.
He said: ‘We are working closely together to ensure the move goes as smoothly as possible and that there is minimal disruption to people’s care.
‘We wrote to patients at the end of August to share these changes. People will shortly receive a second letter to confirm the practice they will move (transfer) to and more information.
‘There is no need for people to contact any practices to register. Until the day of the transfer, people should contact their practice as normal, including for repeat prescriptions.’
Earlier this month, a GP practice looking after 5,000 patients in Staffordshire announced it will be closing down, after the local ICB decided not to reprocure its APMS contract as it is planning a new health centre in the area.
In May, an ICB was threated with legal action over its decision to close a 2,800-patient GP practice in Liverpool.
Earlier this year, researchers at the University of Manchester found that practice closures are linked with reduced patient satisfaction with services at the surviving practices, which end up having more patients, as well as proportionally less GPs and funding.
I’ve known plenty of Practices run entirely by locums