GP practices merge to provide care to 50,000 patients

Six GP practices in Bury have successfully merged into one. 
                          
The practices, which officially merged on 1 July, have since then taken the name of Tower Family Healthcare and started providing care to around 50,000 patients, with their details stored in a single database.
 
Greenmount Medical Centre, the Yacht, Waves and Anchor Minden Family Practices, Spring Lane Surgery and Tottington Medical Practice successfully joined their contracts to become one of the largest practices in Greater Manchester, with over 100 members of staff.
 
The Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking supported the merger with a six-figure loan but a spokesperson said the partners at Tower Family Healthcare prefer not to disclose the exact amount they received.
 
‘Together we can embrace change’
 
In their business case, the practices shared the vision for working together to ‘embrace change’.
 
By merging, the practices hope to offer a greater variety of services to patients, reduce waiting times and provide access to medical specialists across Tower Family Healthcare’s four sites.
 
The savings made through the merger will also help the new practice to support staff development and invest in new equipment and technology.
 
Paul Massey, executive partner at Tower Family Healthcare – who initially started his career as a practice manager at Rock Healthcare practice in Bury – believes the merger will help the practice ‘revolutionise’  the way care is provided to people in the area.
 
He said the merger will provide them ‘with the flexibility needed to offer a higher standard of care’.
 
He added: ‘As we develop cross site working, our patients will be able to see a doctor with particular clinical specialties at any of our six sites, and we will move to be able to guarantee that people will be able to secure a same-day appointment in urgent cases.
 
‘Merging the surgeries has been a complex process, but the support that we received from the relationship team at Lloyds Bank has been phenomenal throughout.’
 
Kate Salt, relationship manager for Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking, said: ‘Tower Family Healthcare is an innovative practice that has its patients’ needs at the heart of everything it does.
 
‘Merging the sites will enable the practice to offer a more efficient service, ensuring that people across the area receive the highest possible standard of care.’