Dear patient,
We are writing to let you know some important information.
What is happening?
We are thinking about merging with another GP practice. This means:
- We will become one single practice
- You would still see the same doctors and nurses
- Our opening hours would stay the same
- You would have access to more healthcare services
Why?
NPC Cramlington and NPC Elsdon Avenue are Northumbria Primary Care practices. We have a history of working together under 1 NHS contract with 1 clinical system. This means we have better resilience and support. We believe this will bring positive change and benefits. These include:
- By sharing resources, we can make better use of funding and invest more in improving and expanding our services.
- Bringing together administrative and support teams will help us work more efficiently and provide a more reliable service.
- Working as one organisation will allow us to share knowledge, learn from each other, and build a stronger team.
- The merger will help ensure the long-term future of the practice, so we can continue to provide high-quality, safe care for our patients.
How will this affect you?
We will not be closing any of the current GP practice locations. You can continue to access care at your preferred site.
You do not need to do anything during this process. You will remain registered with your GP practice. You can continue see your current GP and nursing staff.
Our opening times and contact details will stay the same. The doctors, nurses, and support staff that you see will stay the same. You may notice some new faces working in the surgeries as some staff will work across sites.
Giving feedback
We would like your feedback on this proposal. You can do this in different ways:
- Complete our online survey.
- Complete a paper survey. You can get a paper survey from our practice’s reception.
- Write to your practice. Either by post or given to our reception team.
- If you would like to give feedback to someone independent, please contact Healthwatch Northumberland
- Write to:
- Healthwatch Northumberland
- Adapt (NE)
- Burn Lane
- Hexham
- Northumberland NE46 3HN
- Tel: 03332 408468
- Text: 07413 375285
The deadline for providing feedback is Wednesday 8 July.
Kind regard,
David Watson, GP partner, NPC Elsdon Avenue
Kathleen Mackie, GP partner, NPC Elsdon Avenue
Rachel Somerville-Roberts, GP partner, NPC Cramlington
Derek Thomson, GP partner, NPC Cramlington
Frequently asked questions
We would aim to keep the same number of appointments as previously.
Patients would see no change. Appointments would be available at their chosen site as usual. We may offer you an appointment at another site if this is easier for you. This may be helpful in an acute urgent problem. We would always encourage continuity with the same clinician if it were an ongoing problem.
The existing practice telephone numbers would remain the same. You would contact your practice as you have always done.
No. Patients do not need to do anything. They would remain registered with their practice.
Patients would still speak to their usual clinicians. They would see no change in practice.
Being a bigger practice would help us be more resilient to changes in staffing and demands on primary care services.
All staff would remain the same. They would continue to provide business as usual at their current site. Being a part of a larger practice would increase resilience across all sites.
Practice opening hours would continue as normal unless the central government or NHS dictate otherwise.
We do not plan to change the services provided at each practice.
Community nurses and other healthcare practitioners would continue to work closely with both practices as normal. The same teams would provide the service.
Midwives and health visitors would continue to work with both practices. They would continue to provide care to our expectant mothers and young children.
We would continue to manage prescriptions in the same way. You would still be able to use your preferred pharmacy or dispensary service. We continue to encourage all patients to use online services to help with requesting repeat prescriptions. If you would like to change your nominated pharmacy, you can do so by speaking to your practice directly.
Practices would retain their current names at present. NPC Cramlington used to be called Cramlington Medical Group and NPC Elsdon Avenue used to be called Elsdon Avenue Surgery. You might have seem these old names on things like your NHS app and prescriptions. We are currently going through the process of updating the names officially.
Patients would see no changes to their practice website.
No. You would remain registered with SystmConnect and the NHS app.
Yes. Both practices are members of Northumbria Primary Care (NPC). NPC operates a neighbourhood model, where practices in the same neighbourhood often provide support for each other. NPC Elsdon Avenue and NPC Cramlington are in the same neighbourhood, so have an existing relationship. NPC is a not-for-profit, at-scale provider of primary care services in Northumberland and North Tyneside. Read more about NPC.
No. You will remain a patient of your current surgery. If there is capacity at the other surgery, and it means you might be seen sooner, you may be offered an appointment there. You do not have to attend.
The two GP practices involved in the proposed merger are NPC Elsdon Avenue and NPC Cramlington.
NPC Elsdon avenue is based in Seaton Delaval.
NPC Cramlington is based in Cramlington, next to Manor Walks Shopping Centre.
This proposed merger does not involve NPC Northumbria Way (a GP practice based in Cramlington, near the Northumbria Specialist Emergency Care Hospital), NPC Seaton Terrace (a GP practice based in Elsdon Avenue), or NPC Seaton Sluice (a GP practice in Seaton Sluice).
