Future secure for South Oxford Health Centre

Date: 03 June 2019

stethoscope

Patients at South Oxford Health Centre can expect 'business as usual' following the announcement that the current practice team will continue to provide primary care services - but under new management.

Oxfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group (OCCG), which buys health services for the county's residents, has accepted a bid for the contract at the GP practice from neighbours St Bartholomew's Health Centre in East Oxford. All staff currently at South Oxford will remain, including former partner Dr Nick Wooding, and the surgery premises are staying open.

Dr Wooding said: “We are delighted that the future of our surgery is secured and we can continue to provide the quality of care and personal service which we know our patients appreciate. We are hugely grateful for the loyal support of our patients, staff and the Patient Participation Group (PPG) over the past few months." 

Cllr Marie Tidball from the South Oxford Health Centre PPG said: "Our main aim has been to ensure patients could continue to get high quality care from the practice premises at Lake Street and we are very pleased with the new arrangements. All patients at South Oxford Health Centre will receive a letter from OCCG explaining the outcome of the process and letting them know that there will be no disruption to the services provided by the health centre in the transition to the new arrangements."

In recent years, the practice has faced difficulties in recruiting new doctors, increasing workloads and costs. Many of these challenges are faced by other GP practices in the county and beyond.

OCCG was informed that the practice was handing back its contract early in 2019. OCCG discussed the position with the surgery’s PPG  and wrote to other Oxfordshire GP practices inviting expressions of interest in taking over the contract from 1 August 2019 and running the practice as a branch surgery. The process resulted in the award of the contract to St Bartholomew's.  

Dr Alison Fairley from St Bartholomew's said: "We are very glad to have the opportunity to continue to provide excellent care to the patients of South Oxford Health Centre in association with Dr Nick Wooding and the primary health care team. We look forward to maintaining and developing services for the benefits of all our patients. We are grateful to OCCG for facilitating this."

 

  • Summary:

    South Oxford Health Centre update

  • Transformation:
  • Date:
    03 June 2019