Air your views on future for medical centres at drop-in sessions

Patients at four medical centres across Luton are being asked for their views on future services at a series of drop-in sessions.
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The centre include Moakes Medical Centre, Whipperley Medical Centre, Sundon Park Health Centre and Town Centre GP Surgery which includes the walk-in centre based in the same building.

Luton Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) and NHS England are seeking views from patients on the future services of these practices as these are provided on fixed-term contracts due to expire between January and March 2017.

The NHS organisations are taking the opportunity to review each contract to ensure it continues to deliver what the local NHS and patients need.

Luton CCG and NHS England are encouraging patients and stakeholders to give their views through consultations which started in March and are now holding the drop-in sessions to answer any questions or queries. Patients can also receive help in completing surveys during the drop-in sessions.

The next sessions will be held on:

Tuesday, April 12, 2pm-4pm at Moakes Medical Centre, Marsh Farm Health Centre, The Moakes, Luton, LU3 3SR.

Friday, April 15, 1pm-3pm at Sundon Park Health Centre, Tenth Avenue, Sundon Park, Luton, LU3 3EP.

Tuesday, April 19, 12.30pm-2.30pm at Whipperley Medical Centre, 311 Whipperley Ring, Farley Hill, Luton, LU1 5QY.

Friday, April 29, 2pm-4pm at Town Centre GP Surgery, 14-16 Chapel Street, Luton, LU1 2SE.

Patients registered at Moakes Medical Centre, Whipperley Medical Centre, and Sundon Park Health Centre are being asked to consider three proposed options for their future service: a like-for-like service, changing the contract to reflect the national GP contract, or close the practice and be supported to find another local GP practice. There is a survey for each of the three practices, which patients are asked to complete by Friday, May 6.

Patients of the Town Centre GP Surgery which includes the Walk-in Centre are being asked to consider the options of a like-for-like service or changing the contract to reflect the national GP contract and replacing the walk-in centre element with the development of two Urgent Primary Care Hubs, which patients can access when they are clinically assessed as needing an urgent face to face appointment. This survey is open until June 4.

All responses to each of the surveys will be considered by Luton CCG and NHS England as part of the decision-making process for the future services at each practice. Patients and stakeholders are due to be informed of the outcome of the consultations on Moakes Medical Centre, Whipperley Medical Centre and Sundon Park Health Centre by mid-June, and with regard to the Town Centre GP Surgery including the Walk-in Centre by July.

Patients and members of the public can complete an online survey at http://consult.luton.gov.uk/portal/lccg, paper copies of the survey are also available at each practice or can be requested by calling Luton Clinical Commissioning Group on 01582 532095 or emailing [email protected].

Text messages have been sent to patients and letters will also be delivered to each household informing them about the consultation.

Carol Hill, chief officer, Luton CCG, said: “We are taking this opportunity to review the services these GP practices offer to ensure there is sufficient capacity to meet demand now and in the future, and to identify how they could be improved and transformed to meet the changing needs of patients.

“We would like to reassure patients no decision has been made regarding the future of the four practices. And none will be made without the registered patients of each practice having the chance to be involved.

“We are keen to hear from as many patients as possible,” said Dominic Cox, Locality Director for NHS England in Luton. “By giving us their views, they will be helping the CCG and ourselves to develop primary care medical services in Luton to meet their needs.”