PLEASE READ CAREFULLY

Dear patient,

Re: Changes affecting Ship Street Surgery

I am writing to inform you about changes that affect Ship Street Surgery, Brighton.

You do not need to do anything.

Your care will not be affected and any pre-booked appointments will continue to take place.

All patients can continue to access care in the same location.

What change is taking place?

The contract to run the practice is changing.

Earlier this year Doctor Adolfo Gracia announced that he would be retiring after almost 30 years of caring for patients in Brighton.

Dr Gracia also announced that Integrated Care 24 (IC24) would be taking over the contract to ensure you can continue to receive care from the surgery.

At IC24 we are very experienced in delivering NHS services in Sussex. We currently deliver a home visiting service across Sussex, which operates out of hours. We also operate a Primary Care Hub in Hastings, which is a nurse-led service that provides ‘on the day’ appointments for patients and supports vulnerable members of the community.

IC24 is a not-for-profit social enterprise, which means any surplus or profit generated is reinvested back into delivering the service to improve patient care, rather than being distributed to shareholders. Some more information about IC24 can be found here https://www.ic24.org.uk/

What will happen during the transfer?

The team at IC24 is completely committed to ensuring a seamless transition of the service and ensuring that you can continue to access care when you need it.

Under the new contract, services at Ship Street Surgery will continue and staff will continue to provide high-quality and safe care to patients.

Dr Gracia’s retirement means that new GPs will join the team so you will continue to be able to access care from a doctor, although you may not always see the same doctor.

Further questions?

We understand that you may have questions, and we are happy to answer any queries you have. Please speak to a member of the practice team and we will ensure that any queries or questions you have are answered.

Yours faithfully,

Vickey Watts                                     Dr David Supple

Practice Manager                          Director of Primary Care and Education

Ship Street Surgery                       Integrated Care 24