A private consortium responsible for almost 40 practices across the North West has reassured patients it aim to provide the same level of care and support they received before it was handed the contract to run a health centre.
Around 1,300 patients at Withnell Health Centre lodged letters of objection to the Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care Board in an attempt to prevent SSP Health taking over the contract from Dr Ann Robinson, who has been there for a decade.
Staff and patients at WHC rallied outside the practice in Railway Road, Chorley, on Thursday (January 19) to demand the patient voices are heard and to urge the ICB to reverse its decision to award SSP the contract.
SSP has said its primary focus is to continue or improve the level of care given by staff at the health centre, and allow its admin staff to take the burden of paperwork away from doctors, allowing them to treat more patients.
SSP are responsible for 37 practices across the North West and have an average score of 55.3 per cent patient satisfaction according to the GP Patient Survey, while WHC currently boasts a score of 87 per cent, higher than the national average.
Speaking at the protest, Councillor Margaret France, who was the GP for 30 years before Dr Robinson at Withnell, said: “I am here to protest with fellow patients because we have got to have this stopped.
“This is a family practice where you are known and where you matter, this will not happen if it taken over by a consortium.
"This will all make a difference; we are a small practice, but we can shout loud and we are going to shout loud about this.
“This decision that has been made by the ICB has had no consultation with the public whatsoever.
"So in my opinion this is a deeply flawed exercise, that the tendering process has favoured large consortiums who can employ a consultant to make the tender on their behalf and this is a small practice with small staff who did their upmost to make their tender the successful one.
“In reality, it should have been the successful one because what we’re facing is a consortium from miles away, using a variety of locums and people with no connection to the area and no continuity to care.
“This is one of the last bastions of traditional general practice as we know it. This is a family practice where you are known, where you matter, and where your family is known. This will not happen if it is taken over by a consortium of almost 40 practices.
“Thank you each and every one of you for what you have done, and I do believe if we stand together, we will make a difference.”
A former employee of an SSP run practice, who has asked to remain anonymous, shared his concerns about the ‘devastating’ impact the contract may have.
He said: “The company was diabolical. There was no organisation, and the management changed a lot.
“WHC is well run and well organised and it has that personal touch which it will lose if this company takes over and this is what I, and the local residents are worried about.”
SSP Health received confirmation from the ICB on Thursday (January 19), that there is an intent to award it the Withnell Health Centre contract, and has aimed to reassure staff and patients its aims is to “retain the team, continue their good work and add to the services available to patients.”
Andy Scaife, chief executive of SSP Health, said: “We completely understand the concerns of all involved and we want to reassure both patients and staff of Withnell Health Centre that our primary focus is to ensure the practice continues to provide the same, or better, levels of patient care.
“We are proud of our very loyal workforce, with many of our GPs, nurses and practice teams having remained with us for many years.
“Our group model removes administration from the practice and enables practice teams to continue to focus on their patients, meaning GPs don’t drown in paperwork and admin, giving them more precious time and freedom to focus on quality patient care in their local surgeries.
“We are committed to the best possible patient care as well as ensuring our staff are happy and supported.”
Responding to the GP Patient Survey 2022 results, Scaife highlighted CQC scores, saying the company’s practices have received “consistent ratings of good or outstanding.”
He added: “The latest national survey was done a year ago (although it was published in the autumn) and results varied across the practices, but were not where we wanted them to be as we experienced challenges coming out of Covid.
“We've made great strides since then which have been reflected in our own practice surveys and Google reviews which are live and up to date and have improved significantly in the past year or so – and score an average of four stars, much better than the vast majority of practices.
“At this time our main focus is on working towards the handover date and ensuring as smooth a transition as possible.”
The company has come under fire several times and in 2016 Sefton Central MP Bill Esterson spoke out against the firm, claiming it was “delivering poor quality patient care” across 20 Merseyside surgeries, which are “far more expensive” to run.
Despite the CCG sending a letter out to patients in February 2022, saying there was a “slight change” to the running of WHC but there should be “very little or no impact” as a result, the ICB confirmed their decision to award SSP the contract.
Maggie Oldham, deputy chief executive of Lancashire and South Cumbria ICB, said: “Due to the contract at Withnell being an interim arrangement, we had a duty to undertake an open procurement process for this service which allows for all interested providers to be fairly considered.
"As a result of this process, a suitable provider has been identified.
“We are aware of a number of patients registered at this practice who have expressed concern about the future of Withnell Health Centre.
"We recognise the concerns of staff and patients and would like to take this opportunity to reassure patients that services will be continuing at the health centre.
“As with all procurement exercises, engagement with the public was part of the process.
"In regard to Withnell Health Centre, all patients were sent a letter informing them that a temporary contract had been awarded and there would be a future process to identify a long-term provider.
"They were also invited to submit their views via a patient survey and there was an approximate 11 per cent response rate.
“The ICB remains committed to ensuring high-quality, safe services for its local population and we will work closely with the provider to ensure continuity of service for patients at Withnell.
“We will shortly be writing to all registered patients at the practice with further information.”
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