Whitehaven doctor's surgeries to merge - as long-serving GP retires

An application will be submitted to merge the Queen Street Medical Practice and Lowther Medical Centre into one practice.

Dr Graham Ironside, who has been a GP at Queen Street Medical Practice for 34 years, is due to hang up his stethoscope for the last time at the end of March.

He has dedicated his career to caring for the people of Whitehaven and for much of the last 10 years, has worked tirelessly as a single handed GP.

North Cumbria Primary Care Alliance (NCPCA), which currently holds the NHS contracts for both practices, has made the decision to merge the practice populations, in order to meet patients’ needs.

The proposed merger will mean that the two practices transfer to a single NHS contract with one clinical system and will be known as Lowther Medical Centre.

The practice will continue to operate from both Queen Street and Lowther Medical Centre sites.

Mike Hunter, locality lead for Copeland at NCPCA, said: “We have tried to recruit and haven’t been successful, unfortunately.

“It’s reached the point where Graham has chosen to retire, deservedly, and there isn’t anyone to take over all the responsibilities of running the practice and working in the practice.

“We have been supporting the practice remotely from our other practices at Fellview Healthcare and Lowther Medical Centre and that’s not sustainable in the long term.”

Mr Hunter said the merger would not affect patients.

“Dr Ironside will retire and patients won’t see him but we are planning to retain all of the Queen Street staff and we’ll offer all of the services to patients once they merge with the Lowther population.

“Some of those services will still be delivered from Queen Street.”

When asked about patients struggling to access appointments, Mr Hunter said: “More appointments are being offered than ever before but we struggle to meet demand.

“There are more appointments in practices in Whitehaven than there has ever been but the number of people who want to be seen in our surgeries continues to increase.”

Mr Hunter said alternative services such as a women’s health specialist, are now being offered.

“We are bringing in people who are doing the jobs that GPs traditionally used to do, to release the capacity there. That’s definitely helping.

“Recruiting GPs is a challenge in Copeland. We are doing all sorts of things. We are trying to train our own GPs. We’ve been to recruitment fairs. We are advertising constantly on NHS jobs.

“There is a national shortage of GPs but it’s particularly bad in west Cumbria.”

Mr Hunter said Dr Ironside would be “really missed” by patients and his colleagues.

Dr Graham Ironside will retire at the end of March after 34 years of treating patients in Whitehaven (Image: Mike McKenzie)

“I’ve thoroughly enjoyed working with Graham. I think the work that patients see Graham doing is the tip of the iceberg.

“I’m not sure anyone appreciates how much time and energy he has put in to keep the surgery going and continuing to care for the 4,500 patients he has looked after.

“Working as hard as he has, 15-16 hour days, six days a week, I don’t think anyone would begrudge Graham his retirement.

“It’s really sad to see Graham go but we’ve got a really good team working across Copeland. We’ve got receptionists, admin staff, healthcare assistants, nurses. Doctors, who are really dedicated to delivering the services to patients.

“I understand the patients’ frustration but everybody is doing everything they possibly can to support those patients. I’m incredibly proud of the work they do.”

Patients will have the opportunity to discuss the proposal and ask any questions to the locality team at two drop-in events:

• 1-2pm on February 2 at Queen Street Medical Practice
• 5-6.30pm on February 8 at Lowther Medical Centre

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