Virtual public meeting about proposed merger of Redruth GP practices
People are being given a new opportunity
to have their say about the proposed merger of two Redruth GP practices at a
virtual public meeting.
Manor Surgery and Clinton Road Surgery,
which have around 17,000 registered patients
combined, plan to merge later this summer.
They want to hear local views to help
shape their future – including what new services would help meet people’s
clinical needs.
Under plans, continuity of care will
continue with patients seeing the same GPs and other frontline professionals
they are familiar with, existing services will be retained, and new ones –
including some traditionally delivered in hospitals – will be rolled out.
The preferred premises
solution is to maintain the Manor Surgery site and expand into adjacent
accommodation at the Redruth Health Clinic. This
would give patients access to local GP services from one central site, with car
parking and good access to public transport. It would also provide the space needed
to offer more care locally.
The two GP practices have
already been working closely together at these premises for the past year and
the merger would formalise arrangements and allow for long-term planning to
ensure sustainable high-quality care.
The virtual public meeting will take
place on Tuesday, 20 April, from 6-7pm, when Dr Andrew Craze and Dr Debbie Bugg
– Senior Partners at Manor Surgery and Clinton Road Surgery respectively – will
outline the proposed merger, its potential benefits and answer questions. They
will be joined by the Chairs of the Patient Participation Groups (PPGs) from
both GP practices.
People can
join the virtual public meeting by typing https://bit.ly/3svq2NG into a browser like Microsoft Edge, Google
Chrome or Firefox, where they will be able to
ask questions and share comments via a chat box. They can also submit questions ahead of the event by writing
to the Practice Manager at their GP practice as soon as possible.
Dr Craze said: “The
proposed merger will provide accessible ‘family doctor’ services for the local
community. Patients can be assured of friendly, inclusive and respectful high
standards of clinical practice from a forward-thinking team. We are part of the
local community and will work with our patients, local groups and other
stakeholders to improve the health and wellbeing of people living in Redruth.”
Dr Bugg
said: “Under our merger plans, patients will still be
able contact their preferred doctor from either surgery. There will also be a
wider variety of GPs and other practitioners to choose from, all of whom have
their own area of expertise.
“Our
ultimate aim is to bring other services to the surgery, such as specialist
nurses and mental health practitioners – and in time we may host consultants
from hospitals.”
Both GP practices are rated ‘Good’ by the
Care Quality Commission and have above average ratings in national GP patient
surveys. They are, however, looking to enhance patient experience further,
after listening to feedback, including launching improved
telephone systems.
Engagement about the proposed merger has
been taking place in recent months including with patients – with over 1,100
filling in an online survey – the two local PPGs, Healthwatch Cornwall, partners
in the local health system, Redruth Town Council and the Health and Adult Social Care Overview and Scrutiny Committee.