North Harbour Medical Practice in Portsmouth to close next year due to staffing shortages

North Harbour Medical Group has given formal notice that it will return its contract to provide healthcare for its 9,000 patients who will now be allocated to other practices across the city.

But concerns have been raised that it will worsen the situation in a city which already had the highest rate of patients to GPs in the country, with Portsmouth North MP Penny Mordaunt leading renewed calls for greater support for the city.

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In a statement, the practice said the decision had been a 'difficult' one but that staff shortages were impacting both its medical and business operations.

'We have been working closely with NHS Hampshire and Isle of Wight Integrated Care Board (ICB) and have formally given notice on our contract,' the statement said. 'We anticipate that the GP practice will close in spring 2023.'

The practice had five GPs but, following the retirement of Dr Natasha Chhabda in September, the decision of another to hand in their notice and one on long-term sick leave, only two are remaining. There had also been difficulties recruiting nurses.

Notice of the decision to return the practice's contract was given to the ICB last week with letters sent to patients this week informing them about the planned process to re-register them elsewhere in the city.

The practice is required to give six months' notice before closing but it was decided to allow it to close earlier due to fears staffing shortages could 'detabilise' its work.

Managing director for Portsmouth at the ICB, Jo York, said the closure was 'very sudden' and had been caused by a 'perfect storm' of staffing issues and concerns over the condition of its Cosham Health Centre base.

'We are working with them - and other local practices - to achieve a managed patient transfer to a different practice,' she said at yesterday's (December 15) meeting of Portsmouth City Council's health scrutiny board.

Efforts to find an alternative to the closure of the practice, including a potential merger with another surgery, had been considered but failed.

Ms York said the situation was 'really difficult' with a national shortage of GPs, 'perverse' issues around NHS pensions which discourage them from working, and the shortage of new doctors being trained.

This had been exacerbated, she added, by a recruitment campaign launched by the board in September 'not being as successful as we'd hoped,' with newly-qualified GPs often preferring to work under locum arrangements rather than as a practice partner.

The announcement has increased concern about the GP provision in the city with data published in the summer by healthcare charity Nuffield Trust showing Portsmouth had the highest rate of patients to doctors of any area in the country.

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Ms Mordaunt said she was 'dismayed' at the decision to close the surgery and particularly the short notice given, having only discussed winter contingency plans involving it a couple of months ago.

These plans would have seen the practice move into premises in Cosham High Street had the condition of its current building deteriorated to a point at which it was no longer safe. It had eventually been planned to move the surgery into a purpose-built building on the nearby Highclere site but councillors have been told this was still 'two years away'.

'GPs are doing an incredible job to service the current demand,' Ms Mordaunt added. 'Some practices have asked to temporarily close their books to new patients so it is utterly unreasonable to force an entire GP practice's list onto the already strained surgeries in Portsmouth without additional resources.

'Commissioners must recognise Portsmouth as the major city it is, with a huge volume of, often above average, needs. It needs to focus on recruitment, on continuity of care and on providing an estate that is suitable.

'This will be a huge disruption to all those people, many of whom will have other services delivered to them via this hub. I have raised this with the health secretary and asked for an urgent meeting with the ICB.'

She said she would be meeting with the ICB in the coming weeks to discuss the closure.

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Councillor Matthew Atkins, who represents the Cosham ward and is a member of the health scrutiny board, said the closure had come as 'a massive shock'.

'It seems as though there were still hopes as late as last week that it could be kept open so this is very disappointing,' he said. 'It really does feel like we've taken a step backwards, I hope we can retain some of the remaining staff in the city.'

Patients registered at the practice have been urged 'not to do anything suddenly' with health leaders saying they are confident there is capacity in the city to accommodate everyone elsewhere.

A post code-based system will see patients transferred to other surgeries across the city with everyone registered at the practice being sent a letter in early January asking them to list their preferences for a replacement.

Separate letters informing them of the closure were posted earlier this week, although there are concerns many people may not have received them due to this week's postal strikes.

In-person consultation events will be held early in 2023 for the practice's patients to find out more about the reallocation process.