About 40 GP practices have joined together to improve the delivery of local health services, becoming the first area in the UK to merge primary care networks.
The 39 practices, which include The Hoxton and Shoreditch Park surgeries in Hoxton West, now form one organisation called City and Hackney Integrated Primary Care (IPC).
Through economies of scale, the new group has greater purchasing power to provide high quality health and wellbeing services, the surgeries say.
At a recent Hackney Council meeting, Dr Kirsten Brown, Primary Care Clinical Lead for City and Hackney, said: “The coming together has been hard work but we are now in a stronger position to deliver our care. Hackney is the first area in the UK to bring its primary care networks in one federation.”
Caroline Millar, chairwoman of the IPC, added: “Through being one organisation, we hope GPs and primary care can work in new ways to improve the health of local people and address health inequalities.”
With more than 330,000 registered patients, the organisation says it will focus its attention on improving access to healthcare. This includes GPs and mental health teams. The IPC also hopes to reduce waiting times through extending surgery opening hours.
The merger took place in August this year. Ben Lucas, a Hoxton West councillor, said the new service “seems to be working well so far”.
Treatments and tests, including blood tests and ultrasound, are now offered at hub clinics rather than Homerton University Hospital. A shortcoming is that locals may have to travel further to a health professional.
The aim is to deliver the NHS’s long-term plan – a cost-effective and efficient local health service.
The Hoxton and Shoreditch Park surgeries were approached for comment.
