Central Surgery has applied to North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board (ICB) to close its branch surgery at 43 East View, Boldon Colliery.
The process to approve and implement the closure of a Branch Surgery is set out by NHS England and NHS Improvement – North East and Yorkshire.
The process has a number of stages that must be completed, including the development and submission of a Project Initiation Document (PID).
As part of the PID, and a key stage and important aspect of the approval process, the practice must have undertaken an adequate patient and stakeholder engagement exercise.
A formal patient and stakeholder engagement process is expected to commence on Wednesday, May 22, and last for four weeks.
Patients are invited to take part in any of four engagement sessions.
They take place at St George Medical Practice, New George Street, South Shields, NE33 5DU, on Tuesday, May 30, from 10am to 11am, and Thursday June 1, from 5pm to 6pm.
And at Riverside Medical Centre, Flagg Court, Dale St, South Shields, NE33 2PG, on Tuesday, June 6, from 10am to 11am, and Thursday, June 8, from 5pm to 6pm.
Consultation with patients will take place and any decision taken by the ICB will take full account of impact upon patients and patient access.
Once the stakeholder engagement process has been completed, along with the other requisite elements of the application, a recommendation will be made to the ICB.
The branch surgery has been closed to patients on a face-to-face appointment basis since the beginning of the COVID outbreak. Patients are being triaged by their usual GP and when required, face-to-face appointments are provided for them at the main and other branch surgery.
A factor in the application is the impending retirement of the GP who normally attends this surgery and provides triage.
There will be no change in access to services as all patients will continue to be triaged and seen as appropriate at one of the other two sites, as they are now.
Access to the practice’s other sites is good, as they are both on main public transport routes and have capacity for the booking of appointments. They also provide additional and enhanced services, within core opening hours and extended hours, which the Boldon branch surgery does not.
The practice has also considered the suitability of the branch surgery. The branch surgery has very poor patient access/disability access and it is felt to no longer be fit for purpose. The reasons for this are:
- The surgery has only two consulting rooms, one being on the upper floor, with patients having to negotiate a dark, steep flight of stairs
- There is no lift in the premises
- The practice is on a very busy main road, in a line of local shops and does not have its own car parking facilities or disabled car parking places
- There is no wheelchair access
- There are no automated doors for disabled patients
- The premises needs a total refurbishment which will not be cost effective given its location
Central Surgery’s other main and branch surgeries are at: Cleadon Park Primary Care Centre, Prince Edward Road, South Shields; and Flagg Court Health Centre, Dale Street, South Shields.
Patients and stakeholders can comment on the proposal by accessing the practice’s survey at: https://www.centralsurgerysouthshields.nhs.uk/closure-of-branch-surgery-in-boldon-colliery-due-to-retirement-of-dr-chander/
Further information is available from marionslater@nhs.net, Practice Manager, Central Surgery, and paula.talbot2@nhs.net, Senior Primary Care Commissioning Officer, ICB (South Tyneside).
