Church Street Practice has been appointed as the preferred provider of NHS GP services at The Springbank Surgery in Cheltenham from 1 December 2015.

The current provider of Springbank Surgery, Cheltenham Primary Care Services Ltd, recently informed NHS England of their decision to stop providing NHS GP services from these premises from the end of November.

NHS Gloucestershire Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) subsequently worked with NHS England and the practice to find a new provider to ensure that the surgery’s patients continue to access high quality GP services close to where they live.

Church Street Practice was appointed following a detailed procurement, demonstrating that it will provide high quality and innovative services moving forward. The Practice Participation Group was fully involved in this process.

Helen Goodey, Director of Primary Care at the CCG, said:

“We are delighted that Church Street Practice has been appointed. It is a well-respected local GP practice which has been providing excellent patient care in Tewkesbury for many years.

We would also like to thank the current practice for their support and for their years of dedicated patient care at Springbank.”

The CCG is now working with the current practice and the successful new provider to ensure a smooth transition for patients through the next two months, leading up to 1 December.

Patients will receive information from the new provider in the coming weeks, setting out their plans moving forward. There will be no change to the range of services they currently access at the Surgery.

Helen Goodey added:

“We can also confirm that the Health Access Centre at Hesters Way, which is currently provided by Springbank Surgery and delivers nursing support for patients across Cheltenham, will be replaced by an urgent GP appointment service – part of Gloucestershire’s successful Prime Minister’s Challenge Fund bid.”

This will enable patients who are registered at a Cheltenham practice to access more urgent appointments. By calling their GP surgery, patients will be able to choose to wait for an urgent appointment there or take up the option of an urgent appointment at Hesters Way Healthy Living Centre or St Pauls Medical Centre if they would find this more convenient.

Nursing support will continue to be available from the patient’s own registered GP practice.