A plan to transfer four GP practices in Aberdeen from being run by Aberdeen City Health and Social Care Partnership (ACHSCP) to being independently managed by GPs reached fruition on Tuesday, March 1.
In 2020, ACHSCP proposed that GP practices that it managed should be transferred to become independently run practices. The independent contractor model forms the basis of the 2018 General Medical Services contract as agreed by both the British Medical Association (BMA) and the Scottish Government.
As of Tuesday, March 1, OneMedical Group manage Whinhill Medical Practice; River Dee Medical Group manage Camphill and Torry Medical Practices, and Newburn Ltd manage Old Aberdeen Medical Practice.
This means that the four GP practices are now run the same way as most other practices in the city and puts them in line with over 90% of Scottish GP practices.
The new GP practices will help deliver a full range of core general medical, additional and enhanced services to enable accessible care, continuity and coordination of care and person-centred holistic care.
Patients of these GP practices should be reassured that they are not required to take any action and the GP practices will continue to function as normal.
Luan Grugeon, Chairperson of the Integration Joint Board said: “The four practices transition back to being GP-run from March 1 is a great step in the right direction for each of them and the communities they serve.
“The new practices will continue to provide comprehensive NHS primary care services to help patients manage their health and wellbeing – putting patients at the centre of what they do. These transfers to GP-led practices will help Aberdeen City Health and Social Care Partnership to support our vision to enable people to achieve fulfilling, healthier lives.”
Dr Adrian Crofton and Dr Stefan Geider, Directors of River Dee Medical Group said: “We are delighted to be part of the first community interest company to provide GP services in Scotland and look forward to providing high quality care in line with the best traditions of general practice and in accordance with our value statement Healthcare in Partnership.”
Sarah Everest-Ford, Strategy Director, OneMedical Group said: “We are very excited for the transition of Whinhill Medical Practice joining OneMedical Group, we have an excellent team in place and will continue to expand this over the coming months.”
The Newburn Partners said: “We are delighted to deliver healthcare for the Old Aberdeen population and plan to continue to develop the healthcare model to meet the unique needs of the population.”
Frequently asked questions (FAQs) have been created which should help answer general queries patients may have on the transfer to the independently run GP practices.