Calsayseat Medical Group is delighted to advise that they are working with River Dee Medical Group to explore ways to develop their practices for the future.
River Dee Medical Group were recent successful applicants in a tendering process that awarded their community interest company to run Torry Medical Practice and Camphill Medical Practice. Calsayseat is working with River Dee to explore the possibility of joining this Group.
River Dee Medical Group is the first community interest company delivering primary care in Scotland; it is a locally owned not-for-profit company rather than a business partnership which ensures that all monies are re-invested in patient care. GPs from each practice sit on the board.
Calsayseat Medical Group confirmed that the three practices (Calsayseat / Torry / Camphill) are currently well staffed and committed to continuing to serve their communities and patients.
Normal service will remain; no patients will have to move practices.
Calsayseat Medical Group is looking ahead to the future to find new ways to share expertise and staff across the three practices in a way that will bring improvements to the services that they can offer to their patients. Working together will also ensure an excellent resource for training the healthcare professionals of the future.
All three practices are united in their ethos of a GP-led service that has a focus on addressing health inequalities and preserving primary care services at the heart of our communities.
Calsayseat Medical Group and River Dee Medical Group are excited about the opportunities offered by this collaborative approach; however, they will ensure that the unique identity of each practice is retained within the process.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. I am a patient at Calsayseat Medical Practice, do I need to do anything?
A. No, the way care is being delivered to you and how you access care is not changing. You do not need to do anything.
Q. I’m a registered patient with Calsayseat Medical Group, is it closing?
A. No, it is not closing - Calsayseat continues to be open to deliver care to our patients.
Q. Is Calsayseat Medical Group going to become part of the River Dee Medical Group?
A. We have started discussions with a view to transferring from a GP partnership running Calsayseat Medical Group to the community interest group River Dee Medical Group.
If these discussions go well then River Dee Medical Group will become the ‘employer’ of the current staff at Calsayseat Medical Group and will be responsible for the management of the practice.
Q. Why is Calsayseat Medical Group considering changing from a GP partnership to a community interest group?
A. Although we have many GPs at Calsayseat, the number of GPs who wish to be partners is reducing - this is something which is happening around the country. The extra responsibility and risk involved in partnership make it an unattractive option for some younger (and indeed older) GPs.
While some GPs enjoy running a business, the complexities around the business side of General Practice have increased over recent years and most GPs would rather spend time speaking with or seeing patients than getting involved in business negotiations and staff management.
There is also a financial risk to partners which GPs who are employed do not have. In a Community Interest Company all GPs are employed - no-one is a partner, so the work is shared evenly through the clinical team and the individual GPs no longer carry that individual financial risk.
We believe that working with people in the local area will best serve our practice population. The ethos of the River Dee community interest company is that they strive to make things better for their patients by investing any extra monies in the company - investing in the staff and in the equipment to better serve the local community. It is a non-profit making organisation.
The partners of Calsayseat Medical Group agree with the ethos and vision of River Dee Medical Group and feel that since we wish to explore a change from a GP partnership model, the Community Interest Group model ensures continuity of care for our patients and provides better support, education and training in the future for our staff.
Q. I am a patient at Torry / Camphill medical practice which is part of the River Dee Medical Group. Will I be affected if Calsayseat Medical Group joins the River Dee Medical Group?
A. No - all three practices (Calsayseat / Torry / Camphill) will remain open and working as normal. The plan is to work together to ensure that in the future all three practices will be able to continue to deliver a good service to their local communities and patients.
Q. River Dee Medical Group is a community interest group, what does that mean?
A. River Dee Medical Group is the first community interest company delivering primary care in Scotland. It is a locally owned not-for-profit company rather than a business partnership which ensures that all monies are re-invested in patient care.
Q. If the practice is run by a community interest company, what will it mean for patients?
A. Most patients will not notice any difference when the change takes place as care will continue to be delivered at Calsayseat as is currently the case.
Patients can be reassured that by working together the three practices will be able to invest in the practice staff and share educational, administrative and clinical resources which will be of overall benefit to their patients and ensure that the practices thrive in the future.
Q. When will this change happen?
A. Calsayseat MG have started discussions with a view to the transfer from a GP partnership to the community interest group River Dee Medical Group becoming the employer of staff at Calsayseat MG, including being responsible for the management of the practice, from Spring 2023. Patients will be updated via www.calsayseat.co.uk
Q. Will I have to move to one of the other practices?
A. No, you will not have to move practice. You will remain registered at your current practice (Calsayseat / Camphill / Torry).
Q. How can I be kept up to date with the latest information?
A. Any updates will be posted on www.calsayseat.co.uk and www.torrymedicalpractice.co.uk