Car crashes at ‘significant speed’ into GP reception

A car crashed into a GP practice earlier this week causing a ‘major incident’ with heating, phone lines and electricity shut off or reduced.

Coulby Medical Practice in Cleveland told patients that a car drove ‘at significant speed’ into the reception area. 

While no one was seriously harmed, practice staff said that some had come away with ‘minor trauma’ and ‘fractures’, as well as longer term ‘psychological trauma’.

The practice remains closed to ensure the safety of patients and staff, but GPs continue to monitor and respond to eConsult requests, based out of a neighbouring practice.

Plans are in place to reopen the building from Monday 29 January, after the debris has been cleared.

On Wednesday, the practice said they ‘have had a major incident at the surgery’ with the police and fire brigade assisting, in a post on X.

Senior GP partner Heather Wetherell told Pulse that there were five members of reception staff in the room at the time of the crash and they ‘thought their end had come’.

She said: ‘It was so surreal and unexpected. The car came at enough speed to come halfway across reception. One of the girls got knocked backwards and caught underneath it, but by the time she tried to crawl out it was advancing still into the room. So she’s pretty disturbed.

‘But the others pulled her out, quick thinking, and they all got away with minor bruises and one fracture, and just shaken.’

The practice updated patients the following day, saying: ‘As patients may be aware, yesterday a car drove at significant speed into our reception office. 

‘We are unable to proceed with any debris clearance or repairs until instructed, and currently have no heating, no phones and only emergency electricity.’ 

As a temporary measure while the practice remains closed, Parkway Medical Centre, which operates out of the same building, has allowed the Coulby team to use some rooms to take incoming calls. 

NHS North of England Commissioning Support (NECS) has provided extra laptops and remote phones allowing the team to work out of a different location. 

A post on X said: ‘We are so lucky to have a team of the most lovely and caring receptionists on the planet. 

‘We feel even more blessed that all came away with only minor trauma /fractures. The psychological trauma they faced will last a lot longer than the visible bruises.’

A spokesperson for Coulby Medical Practice said today: ‘This was an unfortunate, one-off, accident and we are thankful that no-one was seriously hurt.

‘Our staff are being supported through this, and we have had a fantastic response from our system partners who have worked hard to make sure we can continue to treat our patients.

‘Our building is significantly damaged; we have been unable to see any patients in-person within our premises, however we do plan to reopen from Coulby Medical Practice again on Monday 29 January 2024.’

Cleveland Police said it would not provide further details of the incident since it was ‘a single vehicle collision with no injuries’.

In September, a similar incident occurred at GP surgery in Doncaster, where a car drove straight into the building, destroying the waiting room, and causing at least £25,000 worth of damage to the building.

At the start of the year, a man was charged with criminal damage and abusive behaviour following an incident at a Bristol GP practice where windows and glass panels were smashed.