Two doctors’ surgeries in Brighton have agreed to merge from the start of October, they announced today (Friday 11 June).
Albion Street Surgery and St Peter’s Medical Centre said that it would be “an excellent opportunity to consolidate and develop services” for patients.
The merger comes almost three years after St Peter’s merged with the North Laine Medical Centre.
North Laine’s Gloucester Street premises closed and the staff moved to Oxford Street where a larger and more modern surgery building is due to open in 2023.
Brighton and Hove Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) said: “Once the practices are merged, patients will still be able to book appointments with their current clinician, subject to availability, and the merged practice will strive to maintain continuity of care when possible.
“St Peter’s and Albion Street’s patients will be able to access a wider range of health care professionals, clinicians to consult with and will be less reliant on seeing locum GPs.
“With a larger practice team, there may be an opportunity to increase provision of services even further and strengthen primary care locally.
“Once the new St Peter’s premises development is completed, there will be more space available for patient care, including a health education room for group consultations and learning events.
“There will also be opportunities to work more closely with Sussex Partnership Foundation Trust to offer more services closer to people’s homes.
“The Albion Street building will be kept as a branch surgery of the new joint practice until the new premises on the St Peter’s Medical Centre site opens.
“The building work commences in June 2021 and is due for completion in the summer of 2023.
“There is no need for patients registered at either practice to do anything to get a new GP as their future needs will be automatically taken care of when the two practices merge.
“The proposal follows extensive discussions with the partners on the future of the practices.
“We make every effort to support local general practice (GP) services which we know are facing the same pressures as those reported from around England.”
Dr Manas Sikdar, from Albion Street Surgery, said: “We are delighted to announce the plan to merge our practices and believe it will bring many benefits to patients.”
Dr Becky Jarvis, from St Peter’s Medical Centre, said: “The coming together of the practices will mean we can offer a truly sustainable service, meeting the needs of our patients now and for many years to come.”
The CCG and practice partners said that they would be happy to receive any questions or suggestions from patients.
They said that they would together to ensure that patients were kept up to date with information about the merger and any planned events.
The merger is due to take effect on Friday 1 October.
