Surgeries to merge in overhaul of NHS care

Senior officials at the primary care trust, NHS North Yorkshire and York, have approved the plans to close one surgery and shift services to another on the coast.

The decision is the latest attempt to provide a more effective health service which has seen an overhaul of GP surgeries in towns including Selby and Harrogate in recent years.

However, the PCT stressed that the merger was proposed by the GPs at the Sleights surgeries and it is not part of a cost-cutting drive to counter a multi-million pound deficit.

The revamp on the coast will see Churchfield Surgery on Iburndale Lane in Sleights merge with Sandsend Surgery on East Row in Sandsend.

The move will see the closure of the Sandsend branch surgery on Coach Road in Sleights at the end of the month.

Dr Rory Newman, a partner at Churchfield Practice, claimed the move is aimed at providing a wider range of services for the 5,200 patients the surgeries cater for.

Dr Ian Suckling, a partner at Sandsend Practice, added that the vast majority of patients’ comments about the plans had been positive, and he hoped there would be minimal disruption.

He said: “We hope that all our patients who use either the Churchfield or Sandsend surgeries will stay with us.

“However, we understand that some patients may wish to move to another practice and we will support those who want to move.”

The efforts to streamline GP services will also see an outdated surgery in Cawood close at the end of the month over concerns about the state of the building. Services are being moved to the main Posterngate GP practice five miles away in Selby.

And a new purpose-built home of four local GP practices and on-site pharmacy opened in Harrogate in November 2009.

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