Meeting for Portsdown Group patients about planned GP merger

Doctors and staff will meet patients from the Portsdown Group Practice next week to discuss a planned GP practice merger in Portsmouth.

They have organised a drop-in session for registered patients at Kingston Crescent Surgery, which will be held in the waiting room of the surgery on Wednesday February 26 from 2.30pm to 4.30pm.

GPs from Hanway Medical Centre and the Portsdown Group Practice have announced proposals to merge on May 1 this year. Kingston Crescent Surgery is run by the Portsdown Group Practice, which also operates out of five other surgery buildings in the area.

The proposed merger – and any separate application to close any existing GP buildings – will need to be approved by NHS Portsmouth Clinical Commissioning Group, which is expecting to receive papers in March.

Hanway Medical Centre has already held two engagement meetings for its registered patients. Its two sites in Hanway Road and Stubbington Avenue are both around half-a-mile from Kingston Crescent Surgery.

Staff at Kingston Crescent report having, so far, had very little feedback from their patients about the proposed merger, but they want to give people the chance to ask questions and raise any issues.

Mark Stubbings, Managing Partner at Portsdown Group Practice, said: “Partners and members of the management team who have attended the Hanway engagement events will be on hand to answer any questions our patients may have.

“We are not planning any kind of formal presentation, but will be very happy to answer any questions.

“After the event, we will update the “Frequently Asked Questions” factsheet that is available for patients from both practices.

“This event is for Portsdown Group Practice registered patients only, and our staff will be on the door to check people in and welcome them into the waiting area.”

Hanway has around 14,000 registered patients, who were all invited to attend its two patient meetings. The two events were attended by around 80 patients.