THREE of Basingstoke’s GP surgeries could merge in a bid to provide a cost-effective service for more than 44,000 patients.

The Gillies and Overbridge Medical Partnership, in Brighton Hill, Camrose Medical Partnership, in South Ham, and The Hackwood Partnership, in Essex Road, are intending on merging later this year.

Extensive public engagement and an agreement from NHS England is needed for the merger to get the green light, but if agreed, the new primary care unit will be called Acorn Health Partnership.

Letters have been sent to patients of the three surgeries outlining what the merger would mean.

The letter reads: “Our wish is to continue to provide our patients with safe, effective, accessible care both now and in the future.

“To enable the merger to go ahead we would be looking to amalgamate some of our services into ‘hubs’ across the three sites.

“By combining the services and staff of the three practices, our patients will gain from an enhancement in the services we will be able to offer.”

All patients will remain at their registered GP but it is planned certain services will only be offered from each individual site.

For example, respiratory nurse appointments will be run out of the Hackwood site, family planning and woman’s health and minor surgery will be based at the Camrose clinic, and a diabetes clinic will be hosted at the Gillies site, which would mean patients would have to travel to each dedicated surgery.

The letter adds: “We hope that our patients will understand that the current model of small practices working in isolation is not sustainable.

“Our practice like many others across the country is facing a number of challenges in the delivery of NHS services.

“Our patient numbers are increasing as are the complexities of their conditions.”

A spokesperson for the North Hampshire Clinical Commissioning Group which oversees the services delivered at the three surgeries confirmed the merger has been proposed.

She said: “We can confirm that the Camrose Medical Partnership, Gillies and Overbridge Medical Partnership and Hackwood Partnership have decided to work together in what is known as a Primary Care Home.

“We would like to point you towards the practice website as they have published details which nicely summarises the details of their developing relationship, what a primary care home is and the principles that primary care homes encompass.”

The primary care home programme was launched by NHS England in October 2015 and has since been expanded to more than 160 sites.

To find out more about the merger, go to camrosemedical.co.uk/2018/01/08/the-primary-care-home-tri-practice.