The NHS is ever changing and more so recently as it faces increasing pressures on its resources. There is a project currently being worked on known as the Sustainability and Transformation Plan (STP).
These are local plans that aim to improve health and care. Produced collaboratively by local NHS organisations and local councils, they set out practical ways for the local NHS to improve NHS services and health outcomes for people in every part of England.
For us in Solihull, it will probably mean working more closely with our colleagues in Birmingham. More information can be found on the Birmingham City Council website.
There are also pressures on primary care providers, like your local GP surgery to come together into larger groups to help streamline the way in which services are both commissioned and provided.
There are a number of ways that this can be done, the main two being
- Surgeries merging together to make one new large practice
- Surgeries agreeing to work together in an alliance.
The second option means that the GP Practice keeps its own staff and responsibilities for its patients, but that where appropriate and to the benefit of patients, it can work with like minded practices to deliver services either more efficiently, or new services that would be either difficult or not effective for individual surgeries to offer.
The following practices in Solihull have chosen the second option
- Arden Medical Centre
- Balsall Common
- Bernays & Whitehouse
- Dorridge
- Hampton
- Haslucks
- Hobs Moat
- Jacey
- Monkspath
Over the coming months, we will give you more information about what ideas and services we might be able to provide for all our patients.
The new collaboration has been called Solihull GP Alliance and it is hoped that very shortly, it will have its own website and social media feeds. If you have any queries, questions, or comments or even ideas for new services, please contact the Practice Manager.