Frequently Asked Questions (Including Questions from the Two Patient Events)
Galleywood MedicalCentre
Frequently Asked Questions (including questions from the two patient events)
What’s happening?
Moulsham Lodge Surgery will no longer be providing services at Galleywood Medical Centre after 31 July 2015; notice has been served on their contract to deliver services from this branch surgery.
Our role at NHS England, as commissioners of primary health care services, is to ensure that all patients currently registered at Galleywood Medical Centre will have access to a GP after 31 July 2015, are aware of what is happening and that they receive all the information they need to before 31 July 2015.
We held two patient engagement events recently to explain what is happening.
What were these patient meetings about?
The two patient engagement events held on Tuesday 23 and Thursday 25 June 2015 were held to allow patients to find out more information about the changes, and to have the opportunity to ask any questions.
Will I have to change GP practice?
Yes, as services will no longer be delivered from Galleywood Medical Centrethis will mean that NHS England will need to register you with a new GP surgery.
However, you do not have to do anything as NHS England will write to you with details of the surgery you have been transferred to. If however, you wish to register with another surgery you are free to do so, as long as you live within the practice catchment area.
If you are not happy with the GP practice you have been transferred to, you can stillexercise your right of choice and register with another GP surgery if you live within thatsurgery’s catchment area.
Which GP Practice will I be transferred to?
NHS England is currently working with 7 GP Practices, which includes Moulsham Lodge Surgery who will be retaining a number of patients from Galleywood Medical Centre. They are:
Moulsham Lodge Surgery
158 Gloucester Avenue, Chelmsford, Essex, CM2 9LG
Telephone number:01245 353182
Rivermead Gate (Branch surgery at Wood Street)
158 Wood Street Chelmsford, CM2 8BN
Telephone number:01245 354732
Sutherland Lodge Surgery
115 Baddow Road, Chelmsford, CM2 7PY
Telephone number:01245 351351
Beauchamp House Surgery
37 Baddow Road, Chelmsford, CM2 0DB
Telephone number: 01245 262255
Baddow Village Surgery
Longmead Avenue, Great Baddow, CM2 7EZ
Telephone number: 01245 473251
Stock Surgery
Common Road, Stock, CM4 9NF
Telephone number: 01277 289400
North Chelmsford Healthcare Centre
Sainsbury’s, 2 White Hart Lane, Springfield, CM2 5PA
Telephone number: 0300 123 3366
Why can’t the surgery stay open with another GP?
The existing Galleywood Medical Centre serves 1,337 patients. This is not a sustainable number of patients to support a GP practice. Although the ideal GP/patient recommended ratio is 1 full time GP for 1,800 patients, this number of patients would not be financially sustainable as a stand-alone practice. There are fixed costs for any practice including staffing irrespective of its size and there are also increased risks for a single handed GP practice in terms of workload and organising cover during holidays and sickness.
Why does this practice have to close? It was providing a really good service.
We’d like to reassure patients that the practice isn’t closing because of any quality issues.
The issues are to do with the condition of the building. There has been an on going issue with the condition of the fixtures and fitting of the building, which the landlord and NHS Property Services are aware of, but these have not been started.
Why was the building allowed to get into this condition?
The building is owned by Chelmer Housing Partnership it is not owned by the NHS, the lease is held by NHS Property Services.
NHS England secured the funding required for the work repairs at the building, unfortunately there have been delays with the works proceeding with the landlord’s permission.
Why can’t another GP practice work out of the Galleywood building?
GP practices in the local area were approached with a view to taking on the Galleywood Medical Centre as a Branch Surgery. This wasn’t a viable solution as no local GP practice has the capacity to do this. To procure a new GP practice to take over the Medical Centre would take in excess of one year. NHS England has the responsibility to ensure that patients can access a GP after 31 July 2015.
What about the bus service and home GP visits?
Bus route maps and details to all alternative GP practices are available. If a patient requires a GP to visit them at home then this will be addressed with the new allocated GP practice and assessed on whether it is clinically necessary.
Moulsham Lodge phone lines cannot cope with the volume of calls at the moment how will they cope once Galleywood closes?
The Galleywood Medical Centre serves 1,337 patients in comparison to Moulsham Lodge that serves circa 7,000 patients so there will obviously be a difference in how easy or difficult it is for a patient to get through over the telephone. The Practice do review and take into account patient feedback around ease of access via the telephone and will take steps to improve this if necessary.
What if I don’t want to move to another surgery?
No services will be delivered from Galleywood Medical Centre after 31 July 2015 and therefore NHS England will need to ensure that you have access to an alternative GP Surgery after this date.
I moved to the Galleywood Medical Centre because I was dissatisfied with other surgeries – can you assure me that another surgery I choose will provide a good service?
Patients will still be able to exercise their right of choice and register with another GP surgery if they live within that surgery catchment area and are not satisfied with the GP practice that they are allocated to.
NHS England is committed to ensuring that all patients receive high quality primary care services from their GP Practice.
However if you are not happy with your GP practice, you can put your complaint in writing to: NHS England, P O Box 16738, Redditch, Worcestershire B97 9PT or e-mail r call phone number: 0300 311 22 33.(charged at local rate)(8am to 6pm Monday to Friday).
Why were we not given more notice/a longer consultation time?
NHS England is required to undertake a 30 day engagement period with patients and it was not possible to commence this until now.
NHS England’s legal team advised that a public engagement period could not be commenced during the pre-election period. In addition to thisNHS England were unable to confirmthese proposals with the Essex Health and Overview and Scrutiny Committee (HOSC) until it met on 3 June 2015.
NHS England identified and reviewed a number of options for the future care of patients and sought the views of Essex HOSC on our proposals for a 30 day patient engagement period to communicate the intention of a managed list dispersal as this was the most appropriate solution to secure continuity of care for patients within the timeframe available to NHS England. This proposal was agreed by Essex HOSC at its meeting on 3 June 2015.
We held the two patient engagement eventsto give patients the opportunity to find out more about the changes.
Can you guarantee that patients in care homes will still have a GP?
Yes, NHS England will ensure that all registered patients of Galleywood Medical Centre have access to a GP after 31 July 2015; including those residents in care homes.
When will we be allocated a new GP practice?
NHS England will write to all patients by mid- July informing them of their new GP practice. In the meantime, patients can register with another GP practice of their choice before they receive this letter. If patients don’t want to go to the practice they have been allocated then they are free to register with another GP practice so long as they live within their chosen GP Practice’s catchment area.
How many patients are registered with the practice? Do the other GP practices have enough space for all of us?
There are 1,337patients currently registered at the Galleywood Medical Centre.
No one will be left without access to a local GP as a result of these changes. All local GP practices in Chelmsford are open to register new patients.
What if there isn’t space at the new practice I want to register at?
NHS England has a responsibility to ensure that no one will be left without access to a local GP as a result of these changes. All local GP practices in Chelmsford are open to register new patients.
Patients will still be able to exercise their right of choice and register with another GP surgery if they live within thatPractice catchment area and are not satisfied with the GP practice that they are allocated to.
I have been with my doctor for a long time; I’m concerned about having a new doctor.
Please be assured that NHS England is committed to ensuring everyone has access to high-quality primary care from GP practices.
All GP Practices, and their staff, have to meet required standards; NHS England and the Care Quality Commission regularly inspect and monitor practices to ensure they meet these required standards.
Will the new surgery have my patient record?
NHS England will manage the safe transfer of your NHS patient record from the Galleywood Medical Centre to the GP surgery that you are allocated to.
I’m pregnant /have a long-term condition /am in the middle of a course of treatment?
We will be working with the practice in the coming weeks to ensure that patients are supported in their move to a new GP practice, particularly those who are in the middle of a course of treatment, are pregnant or have a long-term condition.
What will happen to the doctors and other staff at the practice?
The staff at Galleywood Medical Centre are employed by Moulsham Lodge Surgery and will continue to work from this surgery when the Galleywood Medical Centre closes on 31 July 2015.
What if I’ve got an existing appointment, or need to make one,before I’ve been moved to a new practice?
Ifyou or your family have booked appointments at the surgery with a GP or nurse prior to 31 July 2015, you should continue to attend these.
If you need to book a new appointment while you’re still registered at the Galleywood Medical Centre, you can contact the practice on 01245 478040up to and including31 July 2015.
My prescription is due in the next few weeks – should I move practice immediately?
If you’re expecting a new repeat prescription in the next couple of weeks, we’d recommend you collect that before wechange your GP practice.
I’m worried that a new GP might change my medication.
When you book with your new GP you can arrange to have a check-up. At this check-up, you can talk to them about any medication you aretaking.
What are the long term plans for GP provision in Galleywood?
There are currently no plans to re-open a Medical Centre within Galleywood. There are currently over 6,000 residents in Galleywood but only 1,337 of these are registered at the Galleywood Medical Centre.This is not a sustainable number of patients to support a GP practice. Although the ideal GP/patient recommended ratio is 1 full time GP for 1,800 patients, this number of patients would not be financially sustainable as a stand-alone practice. There are fixed costs for any practice including staffing irrespective of its size and there are also increased risks for a single handed GP practice in terms of workload and organising cover during holidays and sickness.
I couldn’t attend the meetings, but want to find out more
If you were not able to attend either of the recentevents, and would like to discuss your concerns with someone, you can speak to staff at the practice, or call, 0300 311 22 33 (charged at local call rate) or e-mail .
I would like to make a complaint
You can put your complaint in writing to: NHS England, P O Box 16738, Redditch, Worcestershire B97 9PT or e-mail r call, 0300 311 22 33 (charged at local call rate))(8am to 6pm Monday to Friday).