Health Creation Alliance responds to reports that struggling GP surgeries in England will be allowed to close
Dr Mark Spencer, Health Creation Alliance co-chair says “Everything must be done to support each and every GP practice while we work through planned transformation. To allow a practice to fail and wither is unacceptable. It will have a significant impact not only on patients from that practice but also neighbouring practices who will be put in a vulnerable position. We may see a domino effect in the community, and see a real impact in services available for our patients. Communities will suffer. The knock on effects of a failing practice will ripple right through the NHS with patients ending up in A&E which is the last thing that anybody wants.
“The vast majority of practices that are termed ‘vulnerable’ are good practices buckling under workload increases and significant recruitment and retention issues with clinical staff. It doesn’t take much for a practice to go from just surviving to falling over into a situation where they are no longer viable because they’ve been allowed to fail. Practices find themselves in this state through no fault of our own, we should be supporting every practice in the country.”
Notes to editors
- For more information please contact Sophie Lap at sophie.lap@salixandco.com or on 07725 555 030
- Health Creation Alliance is a movement of people and organisations who are committed to building a sustainable, community-based health service. They are an entirely solutions focused organisation, unique in its approach bringing together more than 10,000 passionate individuals and organisations across primary care who believe innovation, connections and integration are key to the sustainability of a health service that remains free to all at the point of need. Health Creation Alliance promote greater collaboration between organisations within the NHS and between the NHS, communities, local authorities, innovative enterprises and other local enablers of prevention and health creation.
