Mayfield Medical Centre and Old Farm Surgery in Paignton have recently been working more closely together and the opportunity has now arisen, they tell us, to merge the two practices.
An Old Farm Practice statement to patients says:
“We are sure you are aware of the pressures faced by the NHS. There is a huge strain on General Practice budgets. Paignton has already seen the closure of 4 local practices as they merged with larger practices (Manor Road, Bishops Place, Grosvenor Road and Withycombe Lodge Surgeries). In late 2016 it became apparent that Old Farm Surgery was entering a very difficult period with significant financial challenges, such that by early 2017 the practice was facing the prospect of becoming unsustainable by Autumn 2017. We were facing the possibility that Old Farm Surgery would have to close, our highly valued staff be made redundant, and our local population needing to travel further to one of the other practices in Paignton.
Following Dr Lowes’ & Dr Bullen’s retirements, Dr Mark Thompson and Dr Claire Graham set about finding a way to enable the practice to stay open. Since June 2017 we have been supported by Mayfield Medical Centres with a new practice manager and subsequently we have also shared some of Mayfield’s other resources. We are now at a point where a merger is required to ensure we can stay open. Our experience working with Mayfield makes it the appropriate merger partner.
You will still be able to see a GP or Nurse at Old Farm. You will also have a greater choice of clinical staff and a wider range of services with the opportunity to see a clinician at either of the Mayfield Medical Centres sites on Totnes Road or their satellite site at Cherrybrook Square in Hookhills.
Both Old Farm and Mayfield are very proud of our individual practices and the personal care we have maintained over the years. We are pleased that our teams will be uniting as one like-minded team.”
Patients of Mayfield and Old Farm will have many questions and both surgeries will be communicating with patients via newsletters, information in the surgeries and online, face-to-face engagement and letters where appropriate.
Both Practices have welcomed patient feedback and the opportunity to answer any of the concerns they may have. Any questions can be directed to the Practice Manager, Colin Whitford, via the email address enquiries.mayfield@nhs.net or by completing the merger questionnaire (link below) and returning to either GP Reception or by email to oldfarm.surgery@nhs.net or enquiries.mayfield@nhs.net by Friday 14th September 2018.
In addition, the surgeries have arranged an informal open evening on Wednesday 15th August 2018 at the Old Farm Surgery between 6pm and 8pm to discuss the merger with patients and carers.
Bob Jope Healthwatch Torbay
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