Closing three branches of Shropshire GP 'super-practice' will result in more appointments, say managers
The closure of three branches of a GP 'super-practice' will result in more appointment slots and make them easier to book, managers say.
Teldoc, which has nine locations around Telford, plan to close Aqueduct Surgery, Highfield Clinic and Lightmoor Health Centre, and held a patient engagement meeting about the change last month.
Some expressed concern the Lightmoor closure would displace patients to Lawley, an expanding area where 'it is difficult to get an appointment now'.
Some said the practice provided a better service before it merged with Teldoc, according to a document summarising the meeting, due to go before councillors this week. The consultation on the reconfiguration plans will end next week.
See also:
Teldoc was created in 2017 when Lawley Medical Practice, Oakengates Medical Practice and Trinity Healthcare merged.
Two years on, the group is proposing to close three branches, which it calls 'under-utilised'.
For patients currently seen at Lightmoor, which is open Tuesday and Wednesday mornings, the nearest alternative Teldoc site is Lawley Medical Pratice, more than two miles away.
The patient engagement meeting summary, which will be discussed by Telford and Wrekin Council’s Health and Adult Care Scrutiny today, says attendees asked: “Lawley’s population is expanding. It is difficult to get an appointment now. Will that be made worse by other patients from closing sites having access to Lawley as well?”
Teldoc’s response acknowledges that, when it was built – before becoming part of their network – Lawley’s medical practice was designed for 6,000 patients. The population of its catchment area is now 11,000 and growing, it adds.
“Patients have fed-back that they feel the practice provided a better service before it merged with Teldoc,” it adds.
“However, the service could not have coped with the increased demand and, therefore, merging with Teldoc has enabled it to have a sustainable future.
“But, in order to now make improvements, we need our patients to understand the challenges we are facing in delivering the services we wish to deliver.”
It adds that patients struggle to get appointments, and says “our limiting factor is call-answering volumes and clinical rooms to deliver care from”.
It says Teldoc’s proposed new care navigation centre will centralise call-handling and reduce the need for patients to make appointments in person at reception, having failed to get through on the phone.
Teldoc’s website says patient appointments from the sites earmarked for closure “will be transferred to other sites of Teldoc, with at least an additional 60 extra clinical appointments a day”.
Information about the proposed reorganisation and the consultation, which ends at 5pm on Friday, August 16, are available at www.teldoc.org
