Seven GP practices face merger and shake up
Seven GP practices will merge with neighbouring surgeries in Staffordshire under radical plans to save the area's heath care from crisis.
The 27 practices across Cannock Chase would be reduced to 20 and share more services but health chiefs on the Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) are saying it does not mean surgeries will close.
Bosses on the CCG say most of the practices are small and unable to cope with increased demand or a move to being open seven days a week.
It means some practices may move to share premises while others may stay open as branches.
It comes after it was revealed that 60 per cent of GPs in Cannock Chase are over 50 years-old and set to retire with no obvious replacements.
The situation has been described as a 'crisis' and a time bomb' by CCG chairman Dr Johnny McMahon.
He wants to see the different GP surgeries work closer together and set up a shared computer system.
A report to doctors states: "In Cannock Chase, the average list size is significantly lower than the national average with 4,931 registered patients per practice compared to a national average of 7,058. The majority - 74 per cent - of practices have fewer than 5,000 patients.
"While size does not indicate quality, smaller practices will increasingly find it difficult to respond to the growing demands of the population and the system. For example, seven day working will not be possible unless practices work together to share resources."
Health bosses admit that they cannot force doctors to merge their practices but say the move is necessary to improve health care in the area.
"This strategy will therefore consider the move to larger units of primary care provision and how practices can work together to share resources, skills and experience between practices and on a wider scale. In order to provide primary care in line with the national average, this will mean a move from 27 to 20 practices," the report adds.
"No one can or would want to force merges. However, mergers, or federated arrangements will improve the mutual support to practitioners that the strategy requires."
Health chiefs also want to double the number of training practices from four to eight by 2016.
Increasing the number of training practices is such that there are a further three in Cannock and an additional one in Great Wyrley and Cheslyn Hay.
A report called Distressed Economy by KPMG has highlighted Cannock Chase as being the worst served area for GPs in Staffordshire and the county as a whole is below the national average.
