Four practices in Brighton and Hove which together service over 10,000 patients are to close after having funding pulled through the review of PMS contracts.
Pulse reported in January that The Practice Group handed back its contract for the five practices after PMS funding was cut by 20%. Although the provider agreed to continue providing services past its contract in March, NHS England has now announced that the practices will close.
According to a letter sent to stakeholders from NHS England, patients at three of the practices will be automatically transferred to other GP practices when theirs closes in July, September and November. The includes 4,000 patients of The Practice Whitehawk Road who will be able to attend a GP practice run from the same building. However, the 2,000 patients at The Practice North Street will have to register for a new GP themselves after the practice closes in July. The fifth practice currently run by the Practice Group is for homeless people, and NHS England is re-procuring this service.
Full story in Pulse, 7 June 2016