NHS bosses have extended the contract to run a Brighton doctors’ surgery for up to a year from today (Tuesday 1 September).
The contract, worth an estimated £1.2 million a year, means that the pioneering Wellsbourne Healthcare CIC (Community Interest Company) can continue to run the GP (general practice) surgery in Whitehawk for now.
NHS Surrey and Sussex Integrated Care Board (ICB), said: “Our priority remains to ensure that people living in the Whitehawk area of Brighton and Hove are able to access high-quality, accessible primary care services.”
The Wellsbourne doctors’ surgery serves more than 8,000 patients – and the not-for-profit team that runs the surgery took charge when a private company pulled out because it wasn’t making enough money.
But when its initial seven-year deal came to an end, ICB bosses looked set to award the contract for running the surgery to another private company instead of Wellsbourne Healthcare CIC.
The decision sparked an outcry, with thousands signing a petition and the CIC itself lodging an appeal that prompted an independent review of the procurement process.
As a result, the decision was overturned and the current team stayed in place while health chiefs decided what to do next.
They are now about to start the contract process from scratch, with the CIC expected to apply to keep running the surgery which is at the Wellsbourne Health Centre, in Whitehawk Road.
The ICB said that the contract that starts today “ensures uninterrupted patient care for the Whitehawk community”.
In the meantime, the ICB will seek applicants to run the Wellsbourne practice as health chiefs review “how services can best meet the needs of the local population both now and in the future”.
The ICB said: “Since the original procurement was carried out, much has developed – the role of general practice within neighbourhood health, contractual requirements on GP practices and our ambitions for greater integration of health and care services within communities.
“With this in mind, the next steps for this practice need to be considered for the long term and we are doing this alongside agreeing a further contract period with Wellsbourne CIC to ensure safe continuity of care.”
