A CONTROVERSIAL merger of two GP surgeries which could affect thousands has been given the go-ahead.
Earlier this year, a consultation was launched by Hampshire, Southampton and Isle of Wight Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) on plans for the merging of Hamble’s Blackthorn Health Centre and Bursledon Surgery.
According to NHS digital, as of September 1 there were 5,000 patients registered at Bursledon who have been getting their GP services provided at the Blackthorn Centre.
This was originally planned as a temporary measure, brought in after the former GP retired, but now, under the plans by Blackthorn Health Centre, this will be made permanent from October 2021.
Over 1,200 people responded to the survey on the plans, raising issues such as ability to travel between sites and GP practice sustainability.
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But a CCG spokesperson said: “The CCG is committed to working with local partners to ensure as many mitigations are in place as possible to support patients.”
They added that the merger will “create a single, stable practice able to deliver high quality continuing care to all patients from a single site”.
The decision has been met with disappointment from some with council leader, Keith House branding it a “crazy decision by health bosses that does not put patients first”.
Eastleigh Borough Council had previously raised concerns about the merger and following this latest announcement, Cllr House added that there was a “clear lack of support” and that residents are now “angry and upset to have lost their GP surgery”.
“This does not bode well for future partnership working as the Borough Council can have no confidence that the CCG will put the needs of the community to have easily accessible GP services before the administrative convenience of health practitioners.”
The Bursledon site will now be used as a base for new staff employed by practices, as well as providing GP services at evenings and weekends
MP Paul Holmes, who had previously written to health bosses to highlight his concerns said: “While I know Blackthorn Health Centre will provide excellent care moving forward, I am disappointed with the decision of the CCG to merge the surgeries at Blackthorn and Bursledon.
“My preference, and the clear preference of residents in Bursledon, was to maintain a physical GP surgery within the local community.
“If this was not possible, I think retaining some element of face- to-face provision in Bursledon at a physical location would have represented a better alternative solution and I am yet to be convinced that this could not be provided.”
