A GP practice in Gosport has been saved from closure with a local health partnership to take over the site from next month.
In December 2022, the sole GP partner of Bury Road Practice resigned his contract at the site, which was initially set to close at the end of March.
Dr Carl Anandan said at the time that ‘due to family illnesses and recent bereavements, together with the increased pressure, demands and expectations, and increasing list size in BRS, together with the recruitment and staffing problems, it has got to the point where I need to take account of my own health’.
Blossom Health – a partnership of GPs, nurses and other healthcare professionals already operating locally in Hampshire with the support of the PHL Group – will take over the running of the practice from 1 July. The partnership was formed following the merger of Park Lane Medical Centre and Staunton Surgery in Havant earlier this year.
As a result, the site will remain open and continue to provide care, and existing staff will be able to remain at the practice should they wish to do so. Portsmouth News reported the practice had a list of 4,700 patients.
Hampshire and Isle of Wight Integrated Care Board (ICB) had subsequently been supporting the practice and engaging with patients and the wider community to explore options for the long-term future of care at the practice.
Sara Tiller, Hampshire place director for Hampshire and Isle of Wight ICB, said: ‘We’d like to thank all the patients of Bury Road for their understanding as we worked with all the parties involved to come to this solution. We hope that patients and the community will agree that this is a positive move that means that care will continue to be delivered from the site in Gosport.’
Ross Brand, Blossom Health partner said: ‘We are delighted to have the opportunity to provide continuity of care for the Bury Road Surgery patients and become part of the Gosport community. In our caretaker role, we have been very impressed by the care and compassion shown by the staff, which made stepping in to run the Surgery an easy decision. We look forward to providing outstanding care for all Bury Road’s patients.’
Many GP practices in recent months have been handing back contracts over issues such as recruitment difficulties and workload.
About 10,000 patients in Bournemouth will have to change their GP practice after a health centre announced its intention to close; a patients’ group in Shropshire is looking at buying its local GP surgery building to save it from closure and make it more attractive to new doctors; and the BMA has called for urgent action to save general practice in Northern Ireland after the 15th GP practice in a year handed back its contract.
