Changes to GP services in Hastings and St Leonards

Please see the statement below from NHS Hastings and Rother Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) about changes affecting the care of patients from the Cornwallis Plaza GP practice.

If you are a patient registered with the Cornwallis Plaza GP practice you will be receiving a letter by post, explaining how the changes affect you personally and giving you information about the arrangements that have been put in place to ensure you can continue to get care from a local GP practice.   

You should receive this letter soon, but anyone concerned about the changes, or who has questions about their ongoing care, can contact 01424 735666 or email Cornwallisplazaenquiries@nhs.net – lines and emails will be monitored between 9am and 5pm, Monday to Friday. There is also an option to leave a message outside of these times.

Changes to GP services in Hastings and St Leonards

The GP who currently holds the contract with the NHS to run the Cornwallis Plaza GP practice has resigned.  Our priority is to ensure continued care for all patients registered with the practice and to improve services for them and we have taken action to put in place alternative arrangements for patient care from Wednesday 1 November.

With no other healthcare provider to take over the running of the practice as a whole, NHS Hastings and Rother CCG has allocated patients places with four other local GP practices – all rated as ‘good’ by the Care Quality Commission (CQC). Letters are being sent to all current Cornwallis Plaza practice patients, who live inside the practice boundary to advise them of the changes and the practice to which they have been allocated.

The local practices, which patients are being allocated to, are taking over the running of the individual surgeries currently run by the Cornwallis Plaza practice, as detailed below:

• Beaconsfield Road Surgery (will be taking over the running of Little Ridge Surgery)
• Harold Road Surgery (will be taking over the running of Shankill Surgery)
• High Glades Medical Centre (will be taking over the running of Essenden Road Surgery when it re-opens)
• The Station Practice (will be taking over the running of Cornwallis Plaza Surgery, which is based in the same building).

This means most patients will still be able to access care at the GP surgery they have traditionally used, as well as at their newly allocated practice. Patients who have been allocated to one of the local practices do not need to take any further actions to confirm their registration with their new practice.

We are also writing to patients who live outside the Cornwallis Plaza practice boundary asking them to register with a practice where they live as soon as possible. Support to re-register will be provided to these patients.

Amanda Philpott, Chief Officer of NHS Hastings and Rother CCG, said:

“We have been working closely with local GPs, colleagues from NHS England and the Care Quality Commission (CQC) to address the challenges facing local GP services and would like to apologise to any patients who have experienced any issues with the services at Cornwallis Plaza practice over recent months.

“Great care has been taken to allocate patients to other GP practices that are as close to their homes as possible, to minimise any inconvenience, and most patients will also still be able to access care at the GP surgery they have traditionally used if they wish.

“We have taken this action to improve services for local people. All the surgeries to which patients have been allocated have the required capacity and are looking forward to welcoming their new patients. In addition, all the receiving practices in Hastings and St Leonards have been rated ‘good’ by the CQC, meaning local people will have access to safe, high quality care that reaches the expected standards.”

The CCG is writing to all affected patients about the change and patients should receive this information soon.  Anyone concerned about the changes, or who has questions about their ongoing care, can contact 01424 735666 or 

Cornwallisplazaenquiries@nhs.net – lines and emails will be monitored between 9am-5pm, Monday-Friday. There is also an option to leave a message outside of these times.