Report of Partners of Oxford Terrace and Rawling Road Medical Group and 108 Rawling Road “The Surgery”

The OSC received a presentation and briefing note on the proposed merger of 108 Rawling Road and Oxford Terrace.

Dr Mathu Krishnan, the longest serving GP in Gateshead has informed NHS Newcastle and Gateshead Clinical Commissioning Group that he wishes to retire on 31 December 2019. Dr Krishnan has made an application to the CCG to merge with Oxford Terrace and Rawling Road Medical group (OTRR-MG) on 1 January 2020.

Dr Krishnan will retire on 31 December 2019. The current premises at 108 Rawling Road will close on that date. Dr Krishnan’s practice boundary currently covers the whole of Gateshead and beyond. Patients in future will be able to access services from 1 Oxford Terrace and 1 Rawling Road which is on the same street, a one minute walk from this site therefore travel for patients will be no practically different.

Oxford Terrace and Rawling Road Medical Group and Dr Krishnan’s Surgery are applying for a full merger of the two named GP practices.

After many years of dedicated service to the community, Dr Krishnan has decided to retire. Dr Krishnan is very keen to ensure his patients continue to receive the excellent care that they have always had and he feels that a merger with Oxford Terrace and Rawling Road Medical will provide this.

The practices have worked closely together as part of Bensham Federation along with two other local practices over the last four years, so have good working relationships already and share some staff that work across both practices. Care navigators and recently Frailty Nurse have worked with Dr Krishnan’s most complex patients providing multidisciplinary working and case management approach to complex needs of patients and their carers.

It is proposed that in future services would instead be offered from the two sites below:

·         1 Rawling Road, Bensham, Gateshead NE8 4QS (0.1 mile or 76 yards from the current site)

·         1 Oxford Terrace, Bensham, Gateshead NE8 1RQ (0.6 mile or 1056 yards from the current site)

Patients will be able to book an appointment to be seen at either surgery. Parking is available at both sites.

The existing practice boundaries will remain unchanged.

The OSC were advised that it is anticipated that the proposed merger will increase the range of services provided and benefits for patients which will include but not be limited to:

·         Improved access with the choice of appointments at either site;

·         Option to book appointments with female GP’s if desired;

·         A choice of 15 doctors with different interests. For example: dermatology, minor surgery, family planning, musculo-skeletal conditions, heart conditions, chest conditions like Asthma and COPD;

·         Care provided by an expert multidisciplinary team;

·         Community Nursing and Health Visiting services will remain the same; and;

·         The surgery has extended opening hours including: opening until 7.30 pm on Monday, 7 am opening on Thursday and Saturday morning 9 am to 12.30 pm

The NHS Fiver Year Forward View sets out a vision for the future of the NHS, which encompasses the development and implementation of a local plan to address the sustainability and quality of general practice. This merger will help to use resources to improve services for the benefit of all registered patients. As part of new developments, practices will be working together as Primary Care Networks to meet the needs of their local population. Although welcome to join OTRR-MG, patients who live outside the area, have been asked to consider changing to a GP closer to home to ensure their needs can be met effectively.

The proposed merger will essentially mean that the two practices transfer to a single NHS contract with one clinical system. There will be no change to frontline services. Staff have been engaged from the outset so that they can support the process and provide information and reassurance to the respective practice patients.

The practice has liaised with North of England Commissioning Support (NECS) and once the propose merger takes place work will be ongoing to support the integration of the clinical and IT systems.