NHS seeking group or individuals to take it over

WITH the headline ‘Riverbank Medical Practice in Thurso needs you!’ NHS Highland is formally advertising the busy Caithness medical practice it has been managing since December 2012.
With the board seeking applications from an individual or group to take over the practice – an advertisement has appeared in the prestigious British Medical Journal. The advert refers to an ‘exciting opportunity’ for potential applicants and points out that NHS Highland is ‘open to progressive and new ideas for the provision of General Medical Services’ for the practice.
Fiona Duff, NHS Highland’s primary care manager for the area, said: ‘We are hopeful that the ad will generate serious enquiries. Despite the difficulty in filling vacancies in remote and rural areas, we want to reassure patients that every effort is being made to attract suitable applications.”
Since December 2012 the 6,000-patient Riverbank practice in Thurso has been managed by NHS Highland.
Ms Duff added: “It’s encouraging that during this period everyone’s rallied round; staff, locums and the community. We aim to carry forward patient support into the next stages of the recruitment process and ensure that the newly formed Patient Participation Group is involved in the process. Their assistance is central to the continuing development of the practice.
“Applicants can expect to continue to have close links with NHS Highland, the community team and neighbouring practices and an extended period of support is being offered by NHS Highland to the successful applicant.”
In the interim, the practice’s staff and GP locums have been working hard to re-assure patients that there is no change to the high quality of care they receive.
Feedback from the patients at an open day held earlier in the year indicated that they were very happy with the service they have received from the regular locum GPs and how helpful the practice staff were.
Riverbank is currently staffed by four practice nurses, 10 administrative and secretarial staff, with GP cover provided by a small team of regular locums.
The closing date for applications is the end of October.