Members of the Parish Council met with Becky Parish Associate Director, Engagement and Experience NHS Gloucestershire yesterday afternoon.

We were asked to delay any announcement for 24 hours whilst they prepared their own communications.

She informed us that the decision of the NHS Committee; following the overwhelming feedback from the NHS patient feedback forms (in excess of 850), the petition, the public meeting and emails from Councillors and members of the public, is that Drybrook Doctors Surgery should stay open if at all possible.

To this end, they are engaging with a potential ‘Caretaker’ to negotiate a six month contract to provide GP Services from the Surgery, in order to give sufficient time to find a longer-term (approx. 10 year) solution.

They are confident that they have found a suitable potential ‘Caretaker’ for this temporary contract. However, we will not know if the proposed ‘Caretaker’s’ calculations and due diligence will make it suitable for them to engage in the temporary contract until the 28th April 2023. If assurance from the ‘Caretaker’ is received by 28th April, NHS Gloucestershire and the ‘Caretaker’ will work towards agreeing a contract and premises arrangements.

Assuming both can be agreed, services will continue to be provided from Drybrook Surgery for the 6 month period.  If it is not possible to proceed with the ‘Caretaker’ (or a suitable ‘Caretaker’ cannot be found) then the patients registered with Drybrook Surgery would have to be allocated to other GP Practices in the area.

All patients will be receiving a letter from NHS Gloucestershire, explaining this within the next few days. Please see attached an electronic version of the Patient Letter from NHS Gloucestershire.

https://www.drybrooksurgery.nhs.uk/practice_news/drybrook-surgery-update/