Proposed merger between North House Surgery, Park Street Surgery and Ripon Spa Surgery in Ripon
Ripon Spa Surgery is proposing to merge with North House Surgery and Park Street Surgery on 1st July 2024. This Information Sheet tells you why we want to do this, how the merger will affect you and how you can let us know what you think.
Why do the surgeries want to merge?
There are four main reasons why we want to merge with our two neighbouring practices in Ripon.
✓ Driving excellence in patient care. This merger will bring together 12 GP partners, 7 salaried GPs and 24 other clinical staff. By pooling resources from across all three practices, we will be able to create a larger team of specialist staff and clinicians to care for our patients, and provide all patients registered in Ripon with the same high standard of care.
✓ Safeguarding the future of healthcare in Ripon: Our staff are our greatest asset. We strongly believe that a larger practice will enable us to better recruit and retain talented staff. Also, by sharing the vast amount of experience that all three practices have in training medical students and junior GPs, we can expand the training opportunities that we can offer to an even wider range of medical professionals. This will help us continue to attract high calibre clinicians, and secure the long-term provision of GP services for the city and surrounding villages.
✓ A stronger voice for patients. During the first year of the new practice, we want to create a single larger Patient Participation Group. This will give our patients a strong voice so that they can help shape the care that we provide and our plans for the future.
✓ Benefiting from economies of scale. As a small practice we have been unable to take advantage of economies of scale e.g. developing specialist senior managers or buying in bulk to reduce our costs. The new practice will provide care to over 24,000 patients and be large enough to help us benefit from new economies of scale so that we can meet financial challenges both now and in the future.
We recognise that this merger will reduce the number of practices that a patient can register at in Ripon from three practices to one. However, we believe that the benefits outlined above outweigh this reduction. The choice of which GP a patient can make an appointment with will also increase to 19.
All three buildings will remain open and there will be no reduction in any opening hours.
When are the practices proposing to merge?
Wednesday 1st July 2024.
What does this mean for me and what options will I have?
We hope that you will want to stay with us. If you do, then you do not have to do anything because your registration will automatically transfer to the new practice. However, we understand that some patients may decide to move to another practice. If so, please contact the practice you want to move to and ask if they will register you as a patient. If they ask us to send your patient records to them then we will do this promptly.
If you need any help or advice on what to do then please contact the Patient Experience Team. You can ring them on 01482 957750, email that at hnyicb.experience@nhs.net, or write to them at Humber and North Yorkshire ICB, Health Place, Wrawby Road, Brigg, DN20 8GS.
Need more help deciding what to do? Come and meet us at our Patient Open Morning!
On Saturday 3rd February 2024 we will be having an Open Morning here at the practice. This is an opportunity for you to come and find out more, and ask any questions that you might have.
Patient Open Morning SATURDAY 3rd February 2024 (10.30 am until 12.00 noon) at Ripon Spa Surgery, Park Street, Ripon, HG4 2BE You don’t need to make an appointment, just simply turn up!
What do you think?
The views of our patients are very important to us and we want to know what you think about the proposed merger. (We considered writing to patients but it is very expensive and we felt that this money was better spent on patient care.) However, you can share your views with us by:
• Filling in one of the This is My View Forms when you are next in the Surgery.
• Downloading a This is My View Form and emailing the completed form to the email address below.
• Emailing us about the proposed merger at hnyicb-ny.myviewrs.noreply@nhs.net
Please let us know what you think by 5pm on Friday 15th March 2024
What will happen next?
After Friday 15th March 2024 we will let you know what our patients have said via posters in the surgery and also information on our website.
Please take time to tell us what you think. Your views are genuinely important to us.
Doctors Charles McEvoy, Penny McEvoy, Matt Mielcarek and Sam Miles (Managing Partner)
Ripon Spa Surgery
19th January 2024