A Hove doctors’ practice is to take over the patient list from the Goodwood Court Medical Centre which was closed last week by the statutory watchdog the Care Quality Commission (CQC).
The nearby Charter Medical Centre, in Davigdor Road, Hove, on the corner of Somerhill Road, has agreed an interim contract with NHS England.
It will look after patients from Goodwood Court, in Cromwell Road, on the corner of Palmeira Place, and those from Goodwood Court’s branch surgery in Eaton Gardens, on the corner of Eaton Villas.
NHS England wrote to patients about the new arrangements yesterday (Wednesday 17 June).
The letter, from Sarah Macdonald, the director of commissioning for the south east, said: “I am writing to update you about the arrangements NHS England has put in place in order to guarantee your ongoing access to local GP services following the closure of Goodwood Court Medical Centre.
“This follows urgent action taken by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) to stop Goodwood Court Medical Centre from providing clinical care, in order to safeguard the safety and welfare of patients. We recently wrote to you about this and to explain how you could access immediate care.
“This second letter confirms the arrangements we have now put in place for your ongoing care and how you will be able to get a routine or urgent appointment with a doctor or nurse should you need one from this point onwards.
“How you will now be able to access local GP services NHS England has agreed a contract with doctors from the Charter Medical Centre to provide care to you and the other patients who were registered at Goodwood Court Medical Centre.
“As you will be aware, Charter Medical Centre is located just a few minutes’ walk away from Goodwood Court Surgery.
“The contract we have put in place will provide Charter Medical Centre with the additional resources it needs to ensure you receive good quality care, as well as making sure their existing patients continue to receive care to the same standard.
“Given the urgent need for you to have continued access to local GP services, we have put this arrangement in place to guarantee your immediate access to care.
“The contract NHS England has secured with Charter Medical Centre to provide your care will initially run until March 2016 so that we can keep these new arrangements for your care under review and make sure you have access to the best possible GP services in the long term.
“Please note that as Charter Medical Centre will now be providing your medical care and are ready to welcome you as a new patient at their GP surgery. You do not need to take any further action.
“Your patient records will automatically be transferred to Charter Medical Centre in order to support your ongoing care.
“We are working closely with Charter Medical Centre to ensure you records are transferred as soon as possible.
“Charter Medical Centre, has a strong record of providing good quality care to patients within the local area.
“I appreciate that it has been a difficult period for patients while we have worked to urgently establish new care arrangements for you and we are grateful for your patience.
“Please be assured that our priority throughout this time has been to protect your health and welfare and to ensure your ongoing access to services.”
Brighton and Hove Clinical Commissioning Group said yesterday: “NHS England has been working to make sure that any outstanding repeat prescription requests that had already been submitted to Goodwood Court Medical Centre are processed as quickly as possible.
“If you previously submitted a repeat prescription request to Goodwood Court Medical Centre then this will be processed and transferred to Charter Medical Centre so that you can collect your repeat prescription from the surgery there instead.
“Work is taking place to ensure any outstanding repeat prescription requests are processed as soon as possible.”
