SUPER sized GP surgeries could replace smaller practices in Colchester and Tendring.

The North East Essex Clinical Commissioning Group claims the current system is not working.

There are 40 GP practices in north east Essex with an average of 8,500 patients each.

The proposal recommends combining services to have surgeries of up to 50,000 patients.

This could be done by current practices forming partnerships to provide a greater range of services between them, or it could mean practices relocating into new centres.

The group’s primary care transformation strategy states: “The high level of patient demand is being met inefficiently by a workforce built around the GP and not the patient.

“The CCG believe the current general practice model is out of date, is clinically and financially unsustainable and cannot address the ever-more complex needs of a growing, ageing and more technically savvy population.

“The current model affects outcomes for patients and places significant cost pressure across the whole health economy.

The group wants to create centres with GPs, district nurses, mental health nurses, healthcare assistants and health visitors as well as moving some hospital services to these new centres.

When questioned over the report’s content, a spokesman for the group claimed “we do not anticipate closing any GP practices” and the plan “will not necessarily mean practices will have to relocate to a new centre” but accepted “this may be a solution in some areas”.

However, the strategy report states: “The range of services smaller practice units can offer on site will necessarily be constrained. Individual small practices may also lack the capacity and capability to provide an extended range of services, win new business and have disproportionate overhead costs.

“Small practices do not have the ability to deliver the extended services needed to address the complex needs of the population and furthermore the failure to provide extended diagnostic services in general practice has been identified as driving unnecessary traffic into secondary care.

“We will develop a hub and spoke ‘at scale’ model of primary care through the forming of practice super-partnerships, federations or co-operatives in north east Essex and, where appropriate, creating super practices.”

A spokesman added: “This concept is under discussion and its aim is to improve the public’s access to general practice and to improve the services being provided by groups of practices.”

Visit www.neessexccg.nhs.uk to take part in the consultation.

Alternatively visit: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/LJQM7PP