Health Board agrees to procure new provider for Cross Hands and Tumble primary care services

At an extraordinary Board meeting today (Thursday 14 December), Hywel Dda University Health Board (UHB) agreed a formal procurement exercise should be undertaken to secure a new General Medical Services (GMS) provider to deliver care to the current registered population of Cross Hands and Tumble surgeries.

This follows the resignation of the GMS contract by the partners of Cross Hands and Tumble Medical Partnership, which will come into effect at the end of March 2024.

The Board considered public and stakeholder feedback and the recommendations of the Vacant Practice Panel, whose membership includes representatives of Llais and the Local Medical Committee (LMC), along with health board officers.

The Board also agreed, should the procurement exercise not identify a suitable single GMS provider for the provision of general medical services from March 2024, full consideration will be given to the other options, including the possibility of moving registered patients to neighbouring practices, or to take on the registered practice population of Cross Hands and Tumble as a Health Board managed practice.

Judith Hardisty, Acting Chair of Hywel Dda UHB said: “We have listened to the patients of Cross Hands and Tumble surgeries and our local stakeholders, including neighbouring Practices. A formal procurement exercise will now be undertaken to secure a new General Medical Services provider to deliver care for registered patients.

“On behalf of the Board, I would like to thank all involved in this process and everyone who took the time to provide their feedback. It is important that members of our community have an opportunity to engage and be a part of the process.”

Jill Paterson, Director of Primary Care, Community and Long-Term Care, at Hywel Dda University Health Board said: “Thank you to everyone who took the time to share their views with us. The Health Board is committed to listening to and engaging with our local populations and we would like to thank patients and stakeholders for their involvement in the process.

“As is standard practice, the Health Board, prior to the Vacant Practice Panel, sought expressions of interest to help inform the process the panel undertakes. The Health Board received two expressions of interest from neighbouring GP practices in taking on the registered population and this is also the preferred option expressed by patients through the feedback we received.

“The health board will now move forward with a formal procurement process following today’s decision by the Board. We will continue to work with the partners and staff of Cross Hands and Tumble Medical Partnership to maintain safe and effective services for patients and we are grateful to them for their continued efforts during this time of uncertainty.

“We will write to registered patients to update them on the decision made by the Board today and will ensure members of our community are kept informed of this ongoing process.”

To view the Board paper and watch the extraordinary board meeting, please visit hduhb.nhs.wales/about-us/your-health-board/board-meetings-2023/extraordinary-public-board-meeting-14-december-2023/