Bridport Medical Centre and the Tollerford Practices in Beaminster and Maiden Newton will merge on April 6, becoming Ammonite Health Partnership.

The GP partners of the surgeries announced in June 2020 plans to merge the practices under one contract early in 2021, but with each centre retaining its name and continuing to operate.

The partnership's application to merge was approved by NHS Dorset Clinical Commissioning Group.

Patients do not need to do anything as registration and health records will transfer to the new partnership automatically, and they continue to make appointments with their usual GP and practice as they do now by using the eConsult on the practice website, or by telephone.

The practices will be closed on April 6 from 12noon so that clinical systems can be closed down ready to merge. This means there will be no access to eConsult during this time.

Patients with online access accounts are asked to note that these will transfer without the need for new accounts or passwords. However, there will be on online access on April 6.

The decision to merge follows the joining of the Maiden Newton and Beaminster practices in 2019 following the departure of Dr Tingay and Dr Rees.

It is hoped, as a bigger organisation, the practices will be more sustainable, more attractive to recruiting new clinicians, and offer greater access for patients to skills within the combined GP and nursing teams.

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