ISLE of Wight GP practices are set to join forces in two separate mergers.

Carisbrooke Medical Centre and the Dower House Surgery, Newport, will join forces from October 1.

In a separate merger, effective from April 1 2020 Ventnor Medical Centre will be combined with the Grove House Surgery, Ventnor.

The four practices are the first GP surgeries on the Island to merge, although similar formal partnerships have taken place on the mainland in recent years.

Benefits will include a better range of appointments, the ability to develop new services and development of specialist administration teams to deal with patient requests.

The Dower House and Carisbrooke already work closely together — last year the practices launched a new minor illness service to help meet the demand for same-day appointments, commissioned a musculo-skeletal service and piloted a prescription ordering service.

Dr Tim Whelan, from Dower House, said: "We are already facing problems recruiting GPs who have left or retired – and Carisbrooke also has GPs who are nearing retirement. Together, our two practices will be much stronger to face future challenges and be better placed to further improve our services to patients."

Dr Judith Moore, from Carisbrooke, added: "Patients will have greater choice by choosing which medical centre they attend – although some specialist services or clinics may only be available at one of them."

In Ventnor, the two surgeries are only 200 metres apart and both already share the services of an advanced nurse practitioner.

Dr David Stevenson, from Ventnor Medical Centre, said the practices have proved they work well together, and said the merger was "great news" for patients.

Dr Stephen Doggett, from Grove House Surgery, said: "This merger offers us very exciting opportunities to develop our existing relationship to improve our services to patients. It will also safeguard our services and greatly improve our resilience and mean that we continue to serve patients at the heart of our community not just now – but in future years."

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