LIPHOOK Village Surgery and the Swan Surgery in Petersfield have announced plans to merge in a move to ensure the long-term sustainability of both practices and to improve existing services to patients.

They will combine to form The Swan Medical Group from April. The key benefits of the merger are:–

lImproved resilience of NHS services so both practices can continue to provide high quality General Practice services which can be extended in future

lMore appointments late and early in the day as well as on Saturdays, plus greater access to acute, planned and preventative care

lA greater choice of GPs with 10 partners (six male and four female) and five other doctors (one male and four female)

lImproved access to a highly skilled nursing team offering improved, long-term condition management for conditions such as asthma, diabetes and COPD

lImproved IT and phone systems as well as a more efficient organisation sharing back office functions and practice administration.

Both practices in Liphook and Petersfield will continue to provide care for the patient population in the town and neighbouring villages, and develop a consistent approach with services and best practice being extended across the merged group over the months ahead, the two surgeries claim.

The merger is anticipated to take 12-18 months to complete but the two practices will be form one organisation from April 2017.

Patients will remain with their registered GP at their current surgery but will have a greater choice in being treated at a time suitable to them through access to more clinical staff.

Liphook Village Surgery’s Dr Ed Sylvester said: “This is a really positive and exciting announcement at a time of significant pressure for the NHS. Our joint vision is to offer our patients simple and reliable access to urgent care services each day, supporting specialist GPs providing planned healthcare interventions including family planning or minor surgery, and co-ordinated management of long term conditions by our joint specialist team.

“By working together, we can also offer greater access to preventative care, such as improving the self-management of illnesses and long-term conditions, providing robust services to our frail and vulnerable patients to stop deterioration at a much earlier stage, and extend services in new and exciting ways.”

Liphook Surgery practice manager Jane May added: “It has been widely reported in the media the NHS is facing a particularly challenging time, having to deal with an increasingly ageing population which has more complex health needs. But it is not just demands for our services which are increasing. There are also increasing demands on the limited NHS budget, which can only stretch so far, as well as increasing problems, both locally and nationally, in recruiting GPs and nurses to work in General Practice. 

“Local authorities are facing the strain on resources for social care, which obviously has big implications on health. That is why we are acting now, to pool our resources and clinical expertise to ensure the long-term sustainability of our practices and enable us to look at how we can extend and expand on those services and how – and when – our patients can access them.

“We have carefully considered what a merger will mean. We believe it to be the best way to ensure we continue to provide the best service we can to our patients and we can appreciate that change can unsettle some people.”

Liphook Village Surgery has compiled a list of answers to anticipated patient queries, stating there are no plans to change access to anyone’s preferred surgery.

Patients will still be able to contact each surgery directly and see their preferred GP. Staff and partners will be based at their original surgery, but will work at both, so patients can make appointments with any doctor. Patients will remain on their current GP’s list.

Earlier and later appointments will be available at the Village Surgery from 6.30am-7.30pm twice a week, and 7am-8pm as well as Saturday mornings at the Swan Surgery.

All previous primary care services offered by the practices will either remain unaffected or will be extended and there are no plans of reducing appointments – instead they plan to make available more expertise and skills for all registered patients at both surgeries.

Patients will not have to travel to another surgery for particular consultations or treatments, but will have a choice if one site provides a more appropriate service at a time that is more convenient. Patients under the care of community-based services at home, or within the practice, won’t be affected.

The Swan Medical Group is hoping to introduce new services to improve access and deliver the best healthcare possible. Medical staff will have a wider pool of knowledge to draw upon and will have more opportunities to specialise.

Annual and sick leave should be better covered and partners will be able to share the increasing administrative work load required of them by the Government.

The merger may involve a change of routine for staff, but both practices hope to keep inconvenience to patients to a minimum and no staff will lose their jobs.

Both practices use the same clinical software and after the merger of data from April, patients electronic medical records will be available to any clinician at both sites as needed.

They will both continue to offer online access and patients will still receive text message reminders for booked appointments and information on flu clinics.

A new main phone number will be introduced next year so calls cn be handled by both receptionist team.

Newsletters and information will be displayed in both surgeries and online. with regular patient participation group meetings and surveys providing feedback.

nCall 0844 477 8646 for more detailed information or drop-in at the surgery off Midhurst Road.