The management of five GP practices in Sefton, Merseyside will be taken over by an urgent and community care provider today (3 April).

UC24 is taking on the practices as part of its growing provision primary and urgent care services across Merseyside and the North West.

The new venture is UC24’s first contract to manage GP practices, and will mean further expansion of the organisation’s Wavertree-based workforce.

Chief executive,  Kate Lucy said: ‘Many people will know us as the organisation which has provided the local GP-led out of hours service to patients in Halton, Knowsley and Liverpool for 13 years, and most recently as helping to provide the region’s NHS 111 service.

‘But we have been moving successfully into other areas of primary care provision, and our new contract in Sefton is part of that expansion.’

UC24 operates a range of community services in its urgent care centres and other settings across the region, with an increasing number of salaried GPs in the team.

‘We are a significant supplier of primary care services: not just an out of hours service but the way to access a range of innovative services which benefit the whole community,’ Lucy added.

The Sefton practices which will be managed by UC24 are Thornton, Crossways, and Crosby Village Surgery in Crosby, and also Litherland Practice and Seaforth Village Surgery.

In addition to this, UC24 will also act as the interim provider for the Maghull and Netherton practices.

‘We do recognise that both the staff and patients who use these practices have experienced a number of changes and our aim is to work closely with them to deliver the best possible primary care services in Sefton,’ said Lucy.

‘We are particularly looking forward to working with local people, community and voluntary groups and have really appreciated the warm welcome we have received so far.’