Future of Sheffield GP surgery remains undecided following death of doctor

Harold Street Medical Centre in Walkley has been run on a temporary contract by the city GP Federation since the long-running GP running it gave up 18 months ago, owing to ill health. The doctor later died, Sheffield City Council’s health scrutiny sub-committee heard this week (March 20).

Abigail Tebbs, assistant director of transformation and delivery at NHS South Yorkshire Integrated Care Board, said that the practice has 2,646 registered patients, which is low for the city. However, the population of the area is expected to grow with planned new housing developments.

Patients, who rate the surgery highly, have been asked for their views and 270 replied to a questionnaire, which Ms Tebbs said was a reasonable response rate.

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She added that public engagement is continuing and said the temporary contract will be extended for at least a further three months.

Walkley ward Coun Laura McClean said: “It’s really good to hear from you how patient involvement has been at the heart of the process so far.” She asked how patients are going to be kept up to date.

Ms Tebbs replied that it would be through the surgery, using patients’ preferred method of contact.

Councillors heard that an unusually high number of patients are men who speak Arabic. This is because a GP who used to work there spoke Arabic and patients continue to be registered at the practice, said Ms Tebbs.

The practice will now be marketed to see whether GPs are interested in taking on the contract.