Two GP practices will be opening branch sites at Brixham Hospital next month, meaning there is improved access for people in Brixham and surrounding areas.
Compass House and Mayfield Medical Centre are co-locating at the hospital site, after a period of refurbishment, to offer local GP services from 20 February.
Mayfield Medical Centre, who took on the contract for the St Luke’s site in Brixham, had to make the difficult decision to temporarily close the Brixham site at the start of the pandemic as it didn’t meet the necessary safety measure for infection control. This meant that people registered with the practice who needed to be seen, had to travel to neighbouring Paignton for GP appointments.
With financial support from Brixham Hospital League of Friends, patients of both practices can now access GPs, phlebotomy, nurses and healthcare assistant appointments at Brixham Hospital as both practices expand their service.
Patients will wait in an airy purpose-built waiting room and receive their pre-booked appointments in newly refurbished consulting rooms.
Appointments must be booked in the usual way through both Compass House and Mayfield Medical Centre telephone triage teams and all contact details for both practices remain the same.
The Hospital is on a main bus route through Brixham.
Dr Stuart Crowe, GP partner at Mayfield Medical Centre, said “We are delighted to start seeing patients in Brixham again. We know that the temporary closure of St Luke’s meant having to travel to Paignton to be seen, this suited many of our patients but not all, and we hope that this new site will improve the experience of our patients.
“We had been hopeful for a re-location to the hospital site for a while now and we are pleased that this is now in place. We would like to thank the Brixham Hospital League of Friends for their fundraising and support in creating a space where patients in Brixham can once again access GP practice services, in a safe and welcoming environment.”
Stephanie Tedstone, practice manager at Compass House, said: “We are excited to expand our current service for our growing patient population and look forward to welcoming patients at our new site in Brixham Hospital this month.
“Brixham Hospital will become our third Compass House site, with King Street remaining our main surgery, along with our branch surgery at Galmpton.
“Clinical staff will work across all three sites on rotation. Patients will be able to book appointments in the usual way on our main number and will be directed to the appropriate site.”
Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust operate the site at Brixham Hospital and are keen to use community health and wellbeing centres, community hospitals and diagnostic hubs to better support people closer to home and invest in local communities.
Liz Davenport, Chief Executive, Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust, said: “Health and wellbeing centres give local people access to a broad range of health and wellbeing services in one place by bringing together GPs, community nurses, therapists and voluntary sector services.
“Brixham is the first of our health and wellbeing centres to bring GPs together with community health services and will be followed later this year by the new purpose-built health and wellbeing centre in Dartmouth.
“We are delighted that the people of Brixham will be able to access primary care services in the same building as other services. We would like to say a sincere thank you to our Brixham Hospital League of Friends whose support has made this possible.”
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