A Brighton doctors’ surgery is to split into two standalone practices – one of them with new premises.
The changes affect about 12,000 patients registered with Ardingly Court and its branch surgery. The patients live predominantly in the Kemp Town, Queen’s Park and Whitehawk areas of Brighton.
A letter has been sent to patients, explaining the changes and offering them a choice of which surgery they wish to be registered with from next April.
Ardingly Court runs a surgery in Ardingly Street, Kemp Town, and its branch surgery, the Wellsbourne Health Centre, in Whitehawk Road, Whitehawk.
The partners took over the Whitehawk branch surgery last year when the Practice Group, which previously ran the service, pulled out of running five GP surgeries in Brighton and Hove.
And the Ardingly Street surgery is to move to premises on the corner of Old Steine and Palace Place, Brighton, once the building there has been refurbished.
Dan Yates, who chairs the Brighton and Hove Health and Wellbeing Board, briefed members at Hove Town Hall this afternoon (Tuesday 12 September).
He spoke about the way the Ardingly Court partners had stepped in after the Practice Group pulled out.
Councillor Yates said: “This well-respected practice with committed staff has managed a very challenging patient list since that time.
“It has had to adapt, however, to working with 6,000 patients on one site to working with 12,000 patients on two sites.
“This has presented a number of difficulties.
“All of the doctors and nurses who work in the practice have indicated that they wish to stay working in the city.
“To move from the current arrangement to the new arrangement, we need to follow a formal procurement activity.”
Some of the patients were formerly registered with the Eaton Place Surgery, in Kemp Town.
They registered with the Practice Group when the Eaton Place Surgery closed in February 2015.
They were re-registered with Ardingly Court a year ago when the Practice Group pulled out.
And they will now have to choose whether to register with the new set up or with Ardingly Court’s city centre surgery.
