Coleford Family DoctorsFrequently Asked Questions
When could the changes happen?
The formal merger of Brunston & Lydbrook Practice and Coleford Family Doctors is likely to take place in late Spring 2022, to coincide with the move to a single new surgery. In the meantime, the practices will begin to form a closer working relationship and potentially share some more specialist services such as physiotherapy, mental health support and respiratory nurse.
What’s the problem with what we have now?
Both practices are finding it increasingly difficult to meet the needs of patients and carers. We have relatively small numbers of staff which, combined with limited space in each of the surgeries, make it difficult to offer flexibility with opening hours or a wider range of services. This will become more challenging as our local communities grow.
How will the proposed merger help?
We hope that by merging our practices and moving to one single new surgery, we will be able to offer a greater range of appointments and increase the size of our practice teams and the mix of skills within them. It would make the practices more resilient and enable us to offer additional appointments and services such as…….
Isn’t this just about saving money?
This is very unlikely to save us money, with a new building requiring a significant investment by the local NHS. We believe that the new surgery is essential to ensure we are able to provide high quality, sustainable services into the future.
New premises
What’s the benefit of having one new surgery building?
As well as providing a good environment for patients and staff, the new surgery will bring additional flexibility in the way that we work. Working together from one single site would make the improvements noted above easier to implement and maintain in the future.
Where are the proposed new premises?
We are currently reviewing a number of sites in the Coleford area but, for commercial reasons, cannot share specific information about these at this time. Your input over the coming weeks will support us in deciding on the best possible location for patients. Please be assured that we are looking for a site that is as accessible as possible and has flexibility to meet future demands.
Will patient parking be available?
The sites we are considering would have good parking for patients, staff and visitors.
Will there be a local bus route?
We don’t envisage the new premises opening before early Spring 2022, so bus services can of course change in the meantime. However, we are beginning discussions with local transport providers to ensure that the site is as accessible as possible for our patients. The number 22 and 35 bus services currently run between Coleford, Lydbrook and Joys Green. There are also community transport schemes operating in the area.
We will continue to offer a home visiting service for patients who are house-bound.
Will there be a prescription delivery service?
We will continue to run a free prescription delivery service.
The new surgery will obviously be bigger. How will you retain a friendly, welcoming feel to the surgery?
We want to share the good practice from both surgeries and ensure that our patients receive a personal, friendly service from our team. We regularly review patient feedback and discuss improvements to the surgery with our Patient Participation Group. We encourage anyone who has a concern to speak with a member of the practice team.
Merger between Brunston & Lydbrook Practice & Coleford Family Doctors
What’s the benefit of merging the two practices?
We believe that the merger will enable us to offer a better range of appointments and increase the size and mix of skills within our practice teams. Whilst there are national recruitment challenges for General Practice, there are also exciting opportunities to develop the range of services and types of clinicians who work in surgery. By forming one larger practice, we believe this puts us in a good position to make the most of these opportunities.
Will I still be able to see my own GP?
If you need an urgent appointment, there will be a range of clinicians in the practice who can help. For more planned or routine appointments, we still envisage offering patients the choice of which GP they see. We know that some patients may prefer to see either a male or female GP. By merging the practices we hope that this will help us accommodate such requests.
Will there be more appointments?
By working together in one new building, we hope to be able to provide an increased number of appointments with a greater range of healthcare professionals.
Will the surgery be open longer?
Bringing the two practices together will enable us to work more flexibly, which should result in better opening hours.
What additional services do you hope to provide?
By merging the two practices, we hope to be able to provide a range of new services such as on-line consultations, group consultations and telephone advice. We also plan to work more closely with physiotherapy, counselling, social care, pharmacy and specialist nursing colleagues for diabetes, respiratory conditions, etc.
What will happen to the staff?
We hope that our staff will transfer to the new practice. We do not plan to make any staff redundancies as a result of the proposed changes.
What do our staff think about the changes?
Our staff will continue to be involved in developing our plans for a merger and new building. They understand the need for change and welcome the benefits of a new working environment.
How can I find out more?
If you have any questions, or would like to find out more, please drop-in to one of our events and speak to one of our team:
- Tuesday 11 February, 4pm – 6pm, Lydbrook Memorial Hall
- Wednesday 19 February, 4.30pm – 7.30pm, Coleford Health Centre, Railway Drive,