Decision made: Grainger Medical Group

Important information on Grainger Medical Practice

Following an update in July about Grainger Medical Practice, we wanted to provide you with further information on the future of the practice.

Earlier this year, we launched a public consultation giving patients the opportunity to have their say on how services are provided by the practice across its two locations at Elswick Health Centre and Scotswood GP Practice.

The possible options for the practice were identified as:

Option 1: Have one GP practice at Elswick Health Centre only

This means providers would be given the opportunity to apply to deliver services from Elswick Health Centre only and the site at Scotswood would close. All patients would automatically transfer to the provider of the new contract or patients could choose to register with an alternative practice.

Option 2: Keep both sites at Elswick Health Centre and Scotswood GP practice

This is what is currently in place now. We would give providers the opportunity to apply to deliver services from Elswick Health Centre and Scotswood GP practice.

The options that were considered but weren’t suitable were:

Have one GP practice at Scotswood GP practice only
Have two separate contracts for Elswick Health Centre and Scotswood GP practice
Close both sites and the practice

These options were rejected on the basis of the option either not being possible to

deliver by providers (and therefore unlikely to succeed), services not being

sustainable, and the premises not being able to accommodate a large list.

A copy of the consultation report can be downloaded using the link below.

Grainger Medical Group Phase 2 findings – research report

The results of the consultation have informed our plans for the future of the practice, and at a meeting held in public on 31 October 2017, the NHS Newcastle Gateshead Clinical Commissioning Group’s Primary Care Commissioning Committee announced its decision to retain one GP practice based at Elswick Health Centre, with the closure of the Scotswood site. A new provider will be approached to deliver this service from 1 April 2018.

Next steps

An interim provider currently holds the contract to provide services at Grainger Medical Practice until 31 March 2018 whilst we undertake an exercise to secure a longer-term provider from 1 April 2018.

Patients will automatically transfer to the provider of the new contract and can continue to be seen at Elswick Health Centre. Patients who are unhappy with the decision may choose to register with an alternative local practice.

Patients currently registered with Grainger Medial Practice have been informed of this decision, and have been provided with details of other local GP practices should they wish to register elsewhere.

Download the Grainger Medical Group Phase 2 findings – research report here to find out what patients told us:

Grainger Medical Practice – engagement report is available to download here

Important information on Grainger Medical Practice

Following an update in October about Grainger Medical Practice, we wanted to provide you with further information on the future of the practice.

In 2017 we launched a public consultation giving patients the opportunity to have their say on how services are provided by the practice across its two locations at Elswick Health Centre and Scotswood GP Practice.

At a meeting held in public on 31 October 2017, NHS Newcastle Gateshead Clinical Commissioning Group’s (CCG) Primary Care Commissioning Committee announced its decision to retain one GP practice based at Elswick Health Centre and the closure of the Scotswood site.

As an interim provider currently holds the contract to provide services at Grainger Medical Practice until 31 March 2018, the CCG carried out a procurement process to identify a longer-term provider from 1 April 2018.
The procurement process commenced on 13 November 2017, however no bids were received by the closing date of 6 December 2017.

As the procurement process had failed to secure a provider and with the current contract due to end, NHS Newcastle Gateshead CCG’s Primary Care Commissioning Committee was required to consider two options:

Option 1: Close the practice on 31 March 2018 and disperse the patient list
As the procurement exercise has failed to secure a provider, and with the current contract due to end on 31 March 2018, there is an option to close the GP practice and disperse the patient list with effect from 1 April 2018

Option 2: Offer the existing emergency provider a six month extension to allow time to disperse the practice list, or to conduct a second procurement exercise.
The existing provider would be asked to extend the current emergency contract for a period of six months, under the current terms and conditions, to allow time to either disperse the list or conduct a second procurement exercise.

At a meeting held in public on 30 January 2018, NHS Newcastle Gateshead CCG’s Primary Care Commissioning Committee announced its decision to conduct a second procurement exercise.

Next steps

An interim provider currently holds the contract to provide services at Grainger Medical Practice until 31 March 2018 and will be granted a further six month extension until 30 September 2018. This will allow us time to undertake an exercise to secure a longer-term provider from 1 October 2018. If a provider has not been identified at the end of the procurement process the CCG may have no other option than to close the practice and disperse the practice list.

Patients currently registered with Grainger Medial Practice will be informed of this decision, and will be provided with details of other local GP practices should they wish to register elsewhere.

For more information

Please contact Helen Fox, senior communications manager on 0191 217 2670 or helen.fox6@nhs.net.

Newcastle Gateshead Clinical Commisioning Group