Hanway Medical Practice writing to patients about its merger

Hanway Medical Practice (HMP) is this week writing to its patients about its merger with the Portsdown Group Practice, now the proposal has been agreed by the NHS in Portsmouth.

NHS Portsmouth Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), the GP-led organisation which plans and pays for many health services across the city, supported the merger, which is due to come into effect from May 1.

The CCG agreed that the proposal “offered the most viable and sustainable solution” for Hanway’s registered patients.

It also agreed the phased close of the two Hanway sites – the Stubbington Avenue branch at the end of this month, followed by the main building in Hanway Road at the end of October, as it would have been commercially unviable for the merged practice to have kept them open.

HMP was forced to seek a merger partner because three of its existing GPs are leaving and it has been unable to recruit replacements – leaving just three GPs with 14,000 patients, which was unsustainable.

All Hanway patients should, until the end of October, continue to contact the practice using the existing Hanway phone number.

Patients used to being seen at Stubbington Avenue will mainly be seen at Hanway Road – although they may be offered an appointment at another PGP site for urgent appointments. From the beginning of November, most patients will transfer to PGP’s surgery at Kingston Crescent – by which time all Hanway patient records will have also have been moved.

In a joint statement, Dr Ian Morris, Dr Fiona Gaught and Dr Shane Lookit, from the HMP, said: “There is no need for any patients to worry about their records being transferred. This will be done automatically for them.

“We will be writing to our patients this week, in detail, to explain again the reasons for the move and the actions that have been planned and already taken to accommodate them at Kingston Crescent.

“We know that some patients had understandable concerns over the merger, but we needed to act, and the merger was not only our best option – but also, we believe, the best outcome for our patients in both the short and long-term future.

“We would also like to thank our patients for their understanding during this period, especially during such a difficult time for the NHS, both locally and nationally. We are doing everything we can to ensure that this transition is as smooth as possible, especially for our more vulnerable patients.”