DOCTORS throughout Bury have announced they are planning to merge to create a super-sized GP practice.

Seven existing practices want to join forces in a move which they say will increase patient access and provide additional specialist services across the borough.

The surgeries intend to become one practice, known as Tower Family Healthcare, with more than 30 GPs.

If the merger goes ahead, it will be one of the largest in Greater Manchester, affecting 50,000 patients, all of whom are being notified this week.

The practices taking part in the merger are Greenmount Medical Centre, Tottington Medical Practice, Spring Lane Surgery in Radcliffe and Minden Family Practices in Bury, which incorporates three practices – Yacht, Waves and Anchor.

The plans also include The Uplands Medical Centre on Bury New Road in Whitefield, which was earmarked for a £3 million development earlier this year.

The site has fallen into a dilapidated state in recent years but doctors say that the proposed merger will not have a negative effect on the development plans for the site.

All seven practices will maintain their current buildings and patients will retain access to their usual doctor in the same centre.

Medical bosses say that one united practice will improve patients’ access to their usual doctor and provide additional specialist health services aimed at reducing the need for hospital appointments.

They also say that the merger will provide added flexibility for patients to access services at any of the seven sites.

Staff at the practices have already been informed of the merger, and it is not believed that any job losses will occur as a result.

Dr Simon de Vial, from the Yacht Practice in Minden said: “This is a positive move and one we feel is right to ensure future viability and to protect and enhance patient services.

“We know from experience that all the practices involved have like-minded values and share the same vision for patient services.

“Merging practices will mean that we can share expertise, reduce the number of locums, and provide extra capacity for patient appointments.

“In time, we hope more practices across Bury will join us as we encourage greater involvement.”

The merger is expected to be finalised within the next 12 months, subject to appropriate patient and staff engagement and regulatory approval.

A series of surgery information and consultation sessions will take place beforehand for patients and staff.

Doctors say the decision has been taken after careful consideration to help ensure consistent high quality care, secure services for the future and boost the recruitment of clinical and support staff, which at present is heading towards crisis levels across the UK.

They also say that it will improve health and social care closer to home, attract new talent, create more opportunities for patients to book urgent care appointments, increase out of hours capacity and provide more opportunities for greater staff training and career development.

Dr Wissam El-Jouzi from Tottington Medical Practice said: “Currently, our urgent care capacity is teetering on a knife edge. It only takes a small reduction in GP availability to destabilise the whole system and that creates an unacceptable situation for patients.

“We are not facing any closures yet, but we know this has happened to many practices all across the country.”

He added that recruitment of GPs and practice nurses has become increasingly difficult and training and development opportunities have to be provided to attract new clinicians.

He added: “We recently advertised for a new GP and although there were hundreds of viewings, there was only one expression of interest received. General Practice cannot continue like this.”