Agenda item

Representatives from the Bishopthorpe GP surgery and the Integrated Care Board will give an update regarding the closure of the Bishopthorpe branch

Dr Beach gave an update on the closure of the Bishopthorpe surgery.

The lease is up for the building and there is no option to remain there so it will close as a surgery in July.

·       We have thought about other options, such as a satellite surgery, but that wouldn’t work out.

·       There is planning permission to add 5 new rooms to the Copmanthorpe Surgery site, the advantage is that all clinics and services will then be under one roof.

·       The Copmanthorpe surgery will open earlier and close later from June.

·       The Bishopthorpe surgery is at the stage that it isn’t really fit for purpose anymore

Q – Can you have a mobile surgery?

A – The cost implication would not make it feasible

Q – What is the plan for patients who cannot get to Copmanthorpe?

A – York Wheels will be available for patients of Bishopthorpe who cannot get to Copmanthorpe, this will also cover Acaster Malbis.

Q – Do the volunteers from York Wheels use their own car?

A – Yes, they do and the ICB will cover the cost

Q – Vernon House and Caretakers Cottage were offered as a satellite surgery, why weren’t they an option?

A – There is lots of red tape with having a satellite surgery and it wouldn’t have worked with either of these options.

Q – When did you receive notice to quit?

A – There was no security of tenure so rent would not have been paid beyond the lease period.

Q – I’m surprised you rented the surgery for so long, why didn’t you purchase it.

A – We had to respect the contract of the lease and the owner, so it was never an option to buy it.

Q – Will there be anywhere in Bishopthorpe that we can leave our repeat prescriptions?

A – There is a meeting with the pharmacy to discuss this so hopefully that will be the drop off location for repeat prescriptions

Q – Elderly is worried about going to Copmanthorpe just for a blood test.

A – There will be an option for a home visit for some blood tests

Q – How will the car park at Copmanthorpe cope with more people attending this surgery.

A – There will be secured off site parking for staff to free up all the spaces within the surgery just for patients.

Q – How will the surgery cope with even more patients when the new houses are built in Copmanthorpe?

A – With the addition of 5 more clinical rooms then we will have capacity to take on new patients.

Q – Who is York Wheels available to, can young people use them?

A – They are for any of our patients who live in Bishopthorpe.

Q – If we are getting a better service then will that mean more face-to-face appointments?

A – We want to be flexible with what suits the patient so we are increasing our opening times, we will extend the hours for earlier mornings and up until 7pm from Monday to Thursday.

Q – How many GP’s do we have?

A – There are 3 GP Partners and 4 GPs contracted.

Q – How long will the extension at the Bishopthorpe surgery take to be completed?

A – It will take about 6 months from the start, there has been nearly 50 objections which has caused the delay

Q – Volunteer drivers are great but what if there is a medical emergency?

A – Not sure about York Wheels Insurance but I will find out.

Q – Any change to home visits?

A – There will be more provision for home visits than before, as it stands there are more people who can potentially visit you at home than before Covid

Q – How are patients going to be told about all this?

A – We are waiting to finalise the transport solution and then all patients will be notified

Q – Those that don’t have access to a computer then how will they be told?

A – They will be sent letters

The surgery will provide further feedback at another meeting and York Wheels will be invited.