Update for Primary Care Connect patients
In January 2019 Primary Care Connect (PCC) gave notice to NHS Liverpool Clinical Commissioning Group that it would be ending its contracts for six GP practices: Anfield Health, Everton Road, Garston, Netherley Health Centre, Park View and West Speke.
The final decision for each practices is as follows:
Everton Road and Anfield Health
In March 2019 NHS Liverpool CCG agreed that Primary Care Connect Everton Road and Primary Care Connect Anfield Health would close, as the vast majority of patients could be transferred to other practices in the same building. People who lived outside of those practices’ boundaries – and were not classed as vulnerable – were assigned to another Liverpool GP closer to where they live. Each patient being transferred received a letter with contact details for their new practice, and confirmation that their records would be transferred automatically. The small number of patients registered at Everton Road and Anfield Health who lived outside of Liverpool were asked to find a GP practice in their local authority area. Everton Road and Anfield Health closed on 29 March 2019.
Park View, West Speke, Garston, and Netherley
Following a short procurement exercise, NHS Liverpool CCG has now identified new providers for the other four Primary Care Connect practices – Primary Care Connect Park View, Primary Care Connect West Speke, Primary Care Connect Garston, and Primary Care Connect Netherley Health Centre.
This means all four practices will stay open, in the same place, and patients will not need to move to another practice. All contact details will stay the same.
The new providers are:
Primary Care Connect Garston - Dr Jude’s Group Practices
Primary Care Connect Park View - Dr Jude’s Group Practices
Primary Care Connect West Speke - Dr Jude’s Group Practices
Primary Care Connect Netherley Health Centre - Valley Medical Centre
Both Dr Jude’s Group Practices and Valley Medical Centre are both established providers of GP services in Liverpool.
Dr Jude’s Group Practices will begin delivering services at Garston, Park View and West Speke from 12 April 2019; Valley Medical Centre will transition patients w/c 15 April.
Both new providers have been awarded contracts until March 2022, which is the longest contract that NHS Liverpool CCG is able to offer. It is likely that during 2021 a new process will start to decide who will run these practices from April 2022 onwards.
When Liverpool CCG first wrote to patients to let them know that Primary Care Connect had given notice on its contracts they asked people to share their views, so we could use this to inform the decision-making process. People provided comments by phone, email, in letters, and at a series of drop-in events. The CCG heard that many people felt very strongly that they wanted to stay at a practice at their current location, so they are confident that this outcome reflects the wishes of the majority of those who provided feedback.
A copy of the report about this engagement is available here: https://www.liverpoolccg.nhs.uk/get-involved/current-ongoing-consultations-engagements/primary-care-connect-gp-practices/.
NHS Liverpool CCG are now writing to all patients registered at the four practices to update them on the situation, and confirm that the way that they contact their GP practice will not change.
These letters should begin arriving on 11 April 2019.
If patients have any queries or concerns they can contact NHS Liverpool CCG in the following ways: By phone: 0151 247 6409; by text: 07920 206 386; or by email: involvement@liverpoolccg.nhs.uk.
