A doctors’ surgery in Brighton is to close and the practice is to merge with another one near by.
The Haven Practice, in Beaconsfield Villas, Brighton, is to close and the patient list will be transferred to the Beaconsfield Medical Practice, in Preston Road, Brighton.
Partners at the Beaconsfield Medical Practice, which operates from the same building as the Stanford Medical Centre, wrote to patients yesterday (Monday 5 January) to tell them about the changes.
The move is part of a pattern of consolidation of general practice (GP) surgeries across the area, with the loss of old-fashioned family doctors, particularly those run as single-handed practices.
Similar family doctors’ surgeries have been lost in recent years in Woodingdean, Saltdean and close to Hove Rec.
Others have been taken over then closed or have been run with much-reduced hours including in Hangleton and Bevendean while other small practices have also been lost including in Kemp Town.
The Haven was set up 40 years ago, in 1986, and is run by Larissa Tate. Dr Tate is expected to move to the Beaconsfield Medical Practice’s Preston Road premises.
Both practices have a “good” rating from the Care Quality Commission (CQC), the official health and care watchdog.
The letter from the Beaconsfield Medical Practice said: “Thank you for your continued support for our surgery and staff which is greatly appreciated and valued by our team.
“We are writing to all of our registered patients to let them know that Beaconsfield Medical Practice is proposing to merge with our neighbour, the Haven Practice, within the coming year (2026).
“We want to reassure you that these proposals would not affect any of the services you receive or mean you would have to do anything differently.
“We do not propose to close our surgery, which would remain where it is, with the same staff that you are used to seeing and dealing with.
“You would still contact the practice in the same way and continue to be able to attend appointments at the same place you have always done.
“Should the proposal go ahead this would mean that the Haven Practice building, at 100 Beaconsfield Villas, would close and patients registered with the Haven Practice would need to go to Beaconsfield Medical Practice for future appointments.
“A key part of this proposal is that Dr Larissa Tate and the Haven Practice staff would move across to Beaconsfield Medical Practice, so patients registered with the Haven Practice would continue to receive care from the same team they always have done.
“This aims to ensure that there would be no impact on the existing services available to our patients at Beaconsfield Medical Practice.
“You can give your feedback on the proposal through a survey which you can complete online or pick up a paper copy from the practice. The survey closes on (Monday) 2 February.
“If you have any questions or need further reassurance, please do not hesitate to contact the practice.
“We will keep you updated throughout the process to ensure you feel informed and supported.”
1. What reason are Haven Medical practice & Beaconsfield Medical Practice merging?
2. How will there be enough rooms and enough Doctors in the Beaconsfield building for 2 full practices to operate efficiently?
3. Beaconsfield has already stopped patients from booking appointments online, out of opening hours, what is the point of not being able to book appointments online if you can’t book out of hours (as we used to do quite efficiently).