Long-term provider for Lakes practice found
Written by John Williamson on 19/01/2023
Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care Board (ICB) is pleased to announce that Cumbria Health on Call (CHoC) will be the new long-term provider for the GP practice based at Ambleside Health Centre and Hawkshead Surgery.
The ICB recently undertook an exercise to find a new provider following the decision of the previous partners at Central Lakes Medical Group to resign as GP partners from the turn of the year.
CHoC is an experienced provider of primary medical services and manages other GP practices within Cumbria as well as providing primary medical services across the whole of Cumbria when GP practices are closed.
CHoC is already working at the practice sites having previously agreed to manage the practice on a temporary basis until April 2023 when the new contract is due to start. Confirmation of the appointment of CHoC as the longer-term provider provides continuity of care for patients who will continue to see familiar faces at the surgery as the practice staff remain in post and will continue to work at both sites.
Dr David Levy, medical director for Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care Board (ICB), said: “We are very pleased to confirm the successful outcome of the procurement process we undertook to find a new provider for the Central Lakes Medical Practice.
“We are confident that CHoC will continue to provide high quality care to patients registered at Ambleside and Hawkshead.
“I would also like to thank all GPs that have worked at Central Lakes Medical Practice and specifically Dr Ward, Dr Cook and Dr Davies for their hard work and commitment to both patients and staff at the practice.”
CHoC chief executive Susan Blakemore said: “We are delighted to have this opportunity to provide care for the patients of Central Lakes Medical Group – the practice team are dedicated to providing their patients with high quality and effective care, values which are shared by CHoC.
“Alongside the existing practice team who do a tremendous job, I am pleased that we have been able to recruit locally-based GPs to work at the practice which will add fantastic value in terms of both local knowledge and continuity of care.
“We look forward to working with the team and also alongside our local health partners who are also providing a range of clinical services to the patient population, this is an exciting opportunity for us all.”
Patients that are registered with the practice will be notified of the outcome by letter.
