Beaumont Villa Surgery (now part of Pathfields Medical Group) is considering a proposal to close its University Medical Centre branch surgery at 27 Endsleigh Place, Plymouth.
We would like to take this opportunity to consult with you regarding the potential closure to ensure that your views are taken into consideration when making a final decision.
Pathfields has been affected by the national shortage of GPs, which is particularly acute in Plymouth. The problems Pathfields has had in providing sufficient clinicians has been magnified by an unusually high turnover of staff, mainly due to natural wastage. We have found it increasingly difficult to fill our current vacancies and are trying innovative ways to expand our clinical team but this will only go part way towards covering the vacancies that we have.
We remain committed to providing excellent patient care but have found that we have been unable to sufficiently staff the University Medical Centre in order to do this. Following a long period of reflection and consultation with Peverell Park Surgery, with whom we share the building, we have decided that it would be best for all concerned, if we were to discontinue to provide medical care services at this site. GP Services at the site will still continue to be available to accept and support new patients through another provider.
Should we gain consent to close the University Medical Centre you will still be able to access medical care at our Beaumont Villa Surgery or any of our other practice sites:
- Armada Surgery, 28 Oxford Place, Plymouth, PL1 5AJ
- Beaumont Villa Surgery, 23 Beaumont Road, Plymouth, PL4 9BL
- Crownhill Surgery, 103 Crownhill Road, Plymouth, PL5 3BP
- Efford Medical Centre, 29 Torridge Way, Plymouth, PL3 6JG
- Laira Surgery, 95 Pike Road, Laira, Plymouth, PL3 6HG
- Plympton Health Centre, Mudge Way, Plympton, PL7 1AD
It must be pointed out that at this stage that this is just a proposal by the practice which cannot be actioned without NHS England approval and without consultation with various important groups. These include, quite naturally, our patients – especially those most likely to be affected, our Patient Participation Group (PPG), other local medical practices and the Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG).
In order to gather your views we have devised the attached questionnaire; this will be available for all Pathfields patients but will impact most on patients that currently use the University Medical Centre as their primary centre for medical care.
You can complete the questionnaire online, or in paper format. If completing on paper please return it to your nearest Pathfields surgery, as above, we would also be happy to receive a response via email; surveypathfieldspractice@nhs.net. If you have any queries about this survey please email surveypathfieldspractice@nhs.net.
Please complete this survey by 19 July 2018
We will keep you informed of any progress via our practice website, reception screen and posters.
Any information that you give us in this survey will be confidential and be held in accordance with the Data Protection Act and General Data Protection Regulation.
