Health leaders officially take over Grangewood, Staveley and Inkersall surgeries

Royal Primary Care (RPC) has been awarded a 15-year contract to provide GP and healthcare services in Grangewood, Staveley and Inkersall.

The successful bid comes after more than a year of RPC providing a caretaker service.

The move has been welcomed by the Patient Participation Group (PPG) covering the three surgeries. David Pipes, PPG chairman, said: “We are delighted that RPC – as part of Chesterfield Royal Hospital NHS Foundation Trust – has been successful in securing the contract to provide healthcare services to people across these communities.

“We hope that more patients will start to share their experiences and join the PPG to bring about change and improvement.”

The caretaker arrangement, which began last May, was put in place to safeguard services in the former Holywell Medical Group.

It was struggling to run a full range of services and to meet demand.

Dr Gail Collins, medical director at the Royal, added: “Over the last year we have been able to attract and recruit five more GPs.

“There are early morning, evening and weekend GP appointments and new services have opened – including an ultrasound clinic staffed by the experienced team from the Royal.

“Through this long-term contract we will continue to develop RPC, bringing GP, primary care and hospital services together in ways which will benefit all our patients.”

In July RPC also joined forces at the Blue Dykes surgeries in Clay Cross and Grassmoor.

This new development will operate for six-months and after that steps may be taken to transfer Blue Dykes surgeries permanently and to grow the practice.