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PARLIAMENTARY WRITTEN QUESTION
General Practitioners (23 March 2016)

Question Asked

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what statutory duty there is on NHS England or clinical commissioning groups to provide notice of closure of a GP practice to its patients.

Asked by:
Richard Burgon (Independent)

Answer

GP Contract regulations require a practice to give NHS England written notice of their intention to terminate their contract. Where the contract is with a partnership, the contract terminates six months from the date of the notice. In the case of a single handed practice, the contract terminates three months from the date of the notice.

There is no specific statutory duty on NHS England to notify patients of the closure of a practice however the National Health Service Act 2006 requires NHS England to ensure the provision of primary medical services throughout England.

However, NHS England take the closure of a practice very seriously and will look to engage with patients at the earliest opportunity.


Answered by:
Alistair Burt (Conservative)
13 April 2016

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