Two Milton Keynes health centres to be taken over by large private medical company

Two more city health centres are to be been taken over by the OneMedicare company.

Neath Hill health centre will be run by them from July 1 while the Brooklands practice will follow on September 1.

The move has, in particular, secured the future of Neath Hill Health centre in a “period of uncertainty”, sayMilton Keynescouncillors.

OneMedicare, based in Leeds, is part of theOne Medical Group, which deliversNHSprimary, urgent and community care to 485,000 patients across the country.

They were appointed to take over the two MK practices following a “rigorous selection process” by the Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes Integrated Care Board (BLMK ICB).

OneMedicare already runs the largeWhitehouse Health Centre, which opened in December 2020. And the takeover will see Neath Hill surgery become a branch of Whitehouse – even though the two places are almost four miles apart,

The partnership will bring a “higher level of stability and resilience” for the smaller practice.

A spokesman for OneMedicare said: “During the coming months, OneMedicare will be working closely with the current providers to ensure a smooth transfer of services. Patients do not need to do anything. It will be business as usual at the practices and health services continue as normal.

Labour councillors have welcomed the move and say they will continue to push its commitment to improving GP access across the city

Ward Councillors Stephen Brown and Nas Khan said: “It’s welcome news that the future of Neath Hill Health Centre is secure, especially during a period of such uncertainty. We all know and have experienced the current strains on the NHS so we hope that this move will have a positive and lasting impact on the community.”

MK City Council built Whitehouse Health Centre and Brooklands Health Centre to cope with additional demand and is planning a new facility in the MK East development.

The council has also provided funding for a new cancer centre and an A&E overflow unit at MK Hospital and has recently agreed funding for a new radiology unit for the Hospital to provide state of the art radiotherapy treatment for residents in the city, so patients no longer have to travel to Oxford.

这是可劳动力继续竞选better access to GP services across the city, with the City Council making it a corporate priority to improve access to GP and mental health services.

Labour councillor Emily Darlington is the Cabinet member for Healthy Communities and sits on Milton Keynes’ Health and Care Partnership. She said: “The City Council has been working to improve GP access for the residents of MK, and while the takeover of Neath Hill Health Centre is welcome news, there is clearly a long way to go. We will continue to invest in crucial infrastructure, such as a Health Hub in MK East and improve services in South East MK, and will continue our campaign for a Health Hub in Bletchley. This is all while we’re investing millions of pounds in mental health support for our communities each year.

“But sadly, our NHS is desperately underfunded and overstretched, and it needs a fully costed plan to ease these pressures and tackle the issue at hand.”