A GP practice inside a Sainsbury’s store has been closed due to the high cost of running the service, it has emerged.
The first in-store practice, in Heaton Park, Manchester, was set up two years ago as part of a government drive to increase competition in primary care and improve access. However, NHS Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale is withdrawing funding because local GPs are now offering extended hours at a lower cost.
Sainsbury’s had at one stage identified around 200 suitable sites for in-store surgeries.
In-store GP Dr Mohamed Jiva could re-open the clinic as a branch of his nearby practice.
A spokesman for NHS Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale said the cost was “higher compared to other extended hours schemes”, although he acknowledged the location was “innovative”.
He said the majority of GPs in the area now also offer extended hours and added: “We are confident that patients’ needs are being met through our existing GP schemes.”
Copyright © Press Association 2010
NHS Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale
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