Future care of patients secured following closure of GP practice

Published: 04/06/2021 10:20

4 June 2021

NHSG/38/21

 

A new provider of primary care services has been secured for patients of Elgin Community Surgery which is to close at the end of June.

The 4,700 registered patients will move to The Maryhill Group Practice on 1st July 2021.

Dr Mark Houliston took the difficult decision last month to give up his practice after more than 20 years. He and the Elgin Community Surgery staff team will transfer with the patients to The Maryhill Group Practice.

The new arrangement follows advertisement and a successful tender process for the contract to provide general medical services. The process took into consideration how the care needs of the existing patients at the practice would continue to be met.

Claire Power, Primary Care Lead for Moray Health and Social Care Partnership, said: “We are delighted that The Maryhill Group will be taking on the patients and staffing team from Elgin Community Surgery. We have worked through the process at pace to ensure that this will be a seamless transition for the patient population at Elgin Community Surgery and have put some transitional arrangements in place to support the transfer. The staff team will provide familiar faces at the new practice, and will be essential in supporting the patient transition to the new provider.”

Dr Robert Lockhart, Chairperson at The Maryhill Group Practice, said: “We look forward to welcoming the transferring patients and staff into the Practice. We were saddened to hear of events at Elgin Community Surgery and see the outcome achieved as positive for both the patients and wider Primary Care in Moray. We are confident that the patients and staff will settle in quickly and see this as an exciting opportunity to expand on the successful patient care delivered at Maryhill.”

A letter has been sent to all patients to inform them of the transfer arrangement.