Information and survey

Resources

Complete the survey online:

Complete the survey and share your feedback

 

What this survey is about?

Sunfield Medical Centre and Hillfoot Surgery have jointly submitted a proposal to the Integrated Care Board (ICB) in Leeds, formally known as the NHS Leeds Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), to engage with the registered patient populations of both their practices about closing Sunfield Surgery permanently on the 31 March 2023 and transferring the registered patients list to Hillfoot Surgery.

The Integrated Care Board in Leeds is responsible for planning and funding most of your local healthcare services and has agreed for this engagement to take place. They are providing support to both of the practices to ensure that as many people as possible have the opportunity to have their say.

The purpose of this survey is to inform patients, staff and local people about these plans and to hear feedback about this proposal.

We are keen to hear your feedback and comments about this proposal. The survey will be open until midnight on Monday 10 October 2022.

 

Background

The Sunfield Medical Centre building is owned by the current GP Partner Dr McGechean, along with another retired ex-partner. Dr McGechean is now reducing his workload and is planning to fully retire from his surgery at the end of March 2023. As he is the only GP partner, there is no one to replace him on his retirement. He has previously advertised for GPs to work at the surgery but on each occasion has been unsuccessful. They have previously advertised to employ another GPs in the practice but have been unsuccessful in recruiting someone. Instead they pay agency freelance GPs to cover the days when the partner is not working.

Sunfield Medical Centre services around 4000 patients with the majority in the postcode of LS28 and LS13.

Sunfield Medical Centre is a single partner practice in Stanningley, and is one of the seven practices in West Leeds Primary Care Network (PCN). PCNs are groups of practices working together to deliver the health needs of the local population and overcome the challenges the NHS might face, such as staff shortages and increased demand for services.

The building itself has a long local history. It was a refugee centre in the war years and has also been a children’s home. Unfortunately time has not been kind. The surgery building is no longer fit for purpose. This was highlighted in a recent survey to look at how well the building is maintained. Whilst it is perfectly okay at present, significant investment would be required to bring it up to the required standard to deliver modern healthcare. As the current owner is retiring there is no appetite on his part to fund this. The surgery is located over three floors and there is no lift. The only viable consulting space is on the ground floor which makes the property unviable for long term future delivery of healthcare. In addition, it is difficult to maintain expected infection control standards due to the fabric of the building.

Single handed GP partnerships are challenged to meet the modern-day healthcare demands of the population.  When Dr McGechean retires at the end of March 2023, transferring patients to Hillfoot surgery will increase the registered patient size at Hillfoot from 7,000 to 11,000. This creates opportunities to work more efficiently and focus any additional funding on developing these services for the benefit of our local population. We believe that this change is necessary to ensure that our GP services are sustainable in the future. Combining some of our services will enable us to better meet increasing demand and provide a wider range of services to people registered with our practice.

Having time to plan to merge the lists and transfer to Hillfoot on the 1 April 2023 will ensure a seamless transfer of care. Patients will always have the choice to register elsewhere if they wish, but those that don’t will not have the burden of finding a new surgery and going through the re-registration process.

 

What will this mean for me?

Patients registered at Sunfield Medical Centre

As Dr McGechean is retiring there is no option to remain at his practice as he plans to sell the building once the closure take place. To minimise disruption to care, we will be merging with Hillfoot Surgery specifically, rather than dispersing patients according to their postcode.

If patients do not want to be registered at Hillfoot Surgery, they are welcome to register at another practice. This is something they will have to do themselves. There are five other surgeries in the area and the patient can register at the surgery of their choice. Those that choose to remain will not need to do anything. Their medical records will be automatically transferred to Hillfoot on the 1 April 2023 and they will have immediate access to GP services.

The existing nursing and administrative staff will transfer to Hillfoot Surgery. This means that Sunfield patients will continue to receive care from familiar faces.

Getting to Hillfoot Surgery

We have looked at what transport is available and there are good links to Hillfoot Surgery for patients in the  LS12, LS13, and LS28 postcodes

LS12 (Armley, Holbeck and Wortley)

• 4, X11 and 15 stop on Waterloo road with a 2 min walk to Hillfoot Surgery
• The 9 goes to Pudsey centre, then at the bus depot change to the number 4.

LS13 (Bramley / Rodley)

• 508 stops at Thornbury Barracks on Leeds Bradford road and then it’s a straight walk down Galloway Lane.
• The 16 goes to Owlcotes Road.
• The 72 passes through Town Street which is at the end of the street where Sunfield Medical Centre is and drops off at Thornbury Barracks

LS28 (Pudsey / Calverley)

• The 72 stops at Thornbury Barracks on Leeds Bradford Road.

 

Pharmacies

For patients who currently use the pharmacy next to Sunfield Medical Centre, and will be moving to Hillfoot Surgery, there is a Boots Chemist with the shops next to Hillfoot Surgery. With changing technology, the majority of Sunfield Medical Centre’s patients (more than 80%) have their prescriptions sent electronically to the pharmacist of their choice rather than collect it from the surgery. When you move to Hillfoot Surgery, you can still choose to have it sent to any pharmacy you wish, including ones near your home.

Patients registered at Hillfoot Surgery

For Hillfoot patients, the increase in patient numbers will allow us to fund an extension which will provide a further four consulting rooms and an administrative space. We are also employing an additional GP prior to help us meet the increase in demand that comes from having an increased number of patients. The nursing and health care assistants’ team will also transfer to ensure that there is no shortage of available appointments.

Larger GP surgeries are more resilient to the changing demands of healthcare. This merger will ensure that Hillfoot is large enough to better withstand any future challenges and will ensure that we keep a surgery on Galloway lane to serve both the patients of Pudsey and those on the Bradford border.

 

How can I provide feedback about this proposal?

We want to give people the opportunity to share their feedback on these changes to Sunfield Medical Centre and Hillfoot Surgery. There are a few ways that you can share your thoughts about the proposed change:

• By completing this survey online, printing a copy at the end of this survey or by requesting a paper copy which we will send to you by post. To request a paper copy, an Easy Read or translated version of the survey, please contact us by phone or email (please see details below).
  • https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/SMCHF22/
• By attending a public meeting where you can hear more about our proposals and submit questions in advance. We will take note of your questions and comments at this meeting, and they will be added to the feedback other people give through the survey to contribute to our engagement report.

There are three meetings arranged, two will held in person at Pudsey Civic Hall (Dawsons Corner, Stanningley, Pudsey LS28 5TA).

• Thursday 15 September 2022, 5pm to 6pm
• Tuesday 20 September 2022,12pm to 1pm

There will also be an online meeting via Zoom on Thursday 15 September from 2:30pm to 3:30pm.

To register for any of the events and submit any questions you may have please phone or email using the contact details below.

• By email to [email protected] or [email protected]
• By telephone – Hillfoot 0113 2574169 or Sunfield 0113 2058100

 

Further information

We are collating a list of frequently asked questions (FAQs) which is available on our practice websites at

• Hillfoot Surgery: https://www.hillfootsurgery.co.uk/
• Sunfield Medical Centre: https://www.sunfieldmedicalcentre.co.uk/

We will also post updates about the engagement exercise on our websites.

We will also post the final engagement report on our websites, along with the decisions taken as a result, and we will share it with the Integrated Care Board (ICB) in Leeds which will help them to understand if there are any common themes in relation to the provision of services that may need to be considered in future planning.

 

Survey

*Please note that this is a plain-text version of the survey for reference, you cannot use the below to feedback on the proposal. Please use the link at the top of page or any of the contact information provided above to get involved or find out more.

Please take a few minutes to share your views.

1.Please tell us who you are:

• I am currently a patient at Sunfield Medical Centre
• I am currently a patient at Hillfoot Surgery
• I am a relative, friend or carer of someone who is a patient at Sunfield Medical Centre
• I am a relative, friend or carer of someone who is a patient at Hillfoot Surgery
• Other – please provide details in the box below

2. Do you currently collect your prescribed medicines from Well Pharmacy adjacent to Sunfield Medical Centre?

• Yes
• No (please go to question 4)

3. If Yes, how do you currently collect your medicines?

• I collect them myself
• Someone else collects them for me
• Other – please provide details in the box below

4. Do you use online services to contact your practice (e.g. online appointment booking or ordering repeat medication)? They will continue to work as normal when the merger takes place

• Yes
• No (If you have answered No to this question, please tell us more about your answer in the box below).

(If you don’t currently use online services for your practice but are interested in doing so, please speak to a member of your practice reception team at either Sunfield Medical Centre or Hillfoot Surgery).

5. Do you have any other comments in relation to access to medicines, which you would like us to consider? Please provide details in the box below.

6. Which three things are most important to you when you make an appointment at our practices (please pick three)

• Getting an appointment quickly
• Same day appointments
• Seeing a specific person at the practice
• The quality of care I receive
• Feeling that it is a safe environment
• Good communication
• The opening times of the practice
• Being able to access a range of different services locally
• Other – please provide details in the box below.

7. Please tell us if you have any further comments about the proposed closure and merger, or any other suggestions that could help with future planning of local health services, in the box below.

8. Did you know that every GP practice has a Patient Participation Group (PPG)? This group, made up of patient volunteers, works with the practice to help make improvements to the service patients receive.

• Yes
• No

If you are interested in finding out more about how you can get involved with sharing your feedback or joining the PPG at Hillfoot Surgery please tick the box and share your contact details at the end of the survey.

• I would like to find out more about getting involved and the PPG at Hillfoot Surgery

Equality Monitoring

It is important to us that all diverse communities across Leeds have their say in shaping local services. We know that different groups of people access services in different ways, and some do not access them at all. To make sure all our services are accessible and meet the needs of all communities we need to know who is giving us feedback and who isn’t.

The following questions help us understand who we are not hearing from, so that we can make arrangements to talk to people/communities who are underrepresented in order to give everyone a chance to have their say.

Please answer the questions below by ticking the boxes that you feel best describe you.

Some questions may feel personal and you do not have to answer them if you would prefer not to. This monitoring information will be kept confidential and secure, and will be kept separately from the responses you have provided elsewhere.

Please tick here if you would prefer to not answer any of the equality monitoring questions

• I would prefer not to answer any of the equality monitoring questions

What is your postcode? E.g. LS12, LS13

What is your age?

Do you consider yourself to be disabled?

(The Equality Act 2010 defines disability as ‘a physical, sensory or mental impairment which has, or had, a substantial and long-term adverse effect on a person’s ability to carry out normal day to day activities’.)

• Yes
• No
• Prefer not to say

If yes, what type of impairment? (tick all that apply)

• Long standing illness
• Physical impairment
• Learning disability
• Mental health condition
• Hearing impairment (such as deaf or hard of hearing)
• Visual impairment (such as blind or partially sighted)
• Prefer not to answer
• Other (please specify):

What is your ethnic background?

o  Arab

o  Asian or Asian British – Bangladeshi

o  Asian or Asian British – Chinese

o  Asian or Asian British – Indian

o  Asian or Asian British – Pakistani

o  Black, African, Caribbean or Black British – African

o  Black, African, Caribbean or Black British – Caribbean

o  Mixed or multiple ethnicity – White and Asian

o  Mixed or multiple ethnicity – White and Black African

o  Mixed or multiple ethnicity – White and Black Caribbean

o  White – English, Welsh, Scottish, Northern Irish or British

o  White – Gypsy or Irish Traveller

o  White – Irish

o  White – Roma

o  Prefer not to say

o  Other (please specify):

 What is your sex?

• Male
• Female
• Other (please specify)
• Prefer not to say

Are you transgender? (Is your gender different to the gender you were given at birth?)

• Yes
• No
• Prefer not to say

Pregnancy and maternity

(The Equality Act 2010 protects women who are pregnant or have given birth within a 26 week period)

Are you pregnant at this time?

• Yes
• No
• Prefer not to say

Have you recently given birth (within a 26 week period?

• Yes
• No
• Prefer not to say

 What is your religion or belief?

• Buddhism
• Christianity
• Hinduism
• Islam
• Judaism
• Sikhism
• Prefer not to say
• Other (please specify)

What is your sexual orientation?

• Bisexual (both sexes)
• Gay man (same-sex)
• Gay woman/lesbian ( same-sex)
• Straight/heterosexual (opposite sex)
• Prefer not to say
• Other (please specify):

What is your relationship status?

• Civil Partnership
• Co-habiting (live with partner)
• Divorced
• Married
• Single
• Widowed
• Prefer not to say
• Other (please specify):

What is your employment status (please tick all that apply)?

• Student – Further education (Sixth Form, College)
• Student – Higher Education (University)
• Employed – Full time
• Employed – Part time
• In receipt of state benefits (e.g. Personal Indepedence Payment, Universal Credit)
• Not in employment – Looking for work
• Not in employment – Unable to work
• Not in employment – Not looking for work
• Apprenticeship/training
• Retired
• Prefer not to say
• Other (please specify):

Are you a carer?

(A carer is someone who provides unpaid support/care for a family member, friend, etc. who needs help with their day to day life; because they are disabled, have a long term illness or they are elderly.)

• Yes
• No
• Prefer not to say

Would you describe yourself as homeless?

• Yes
• No
• Prefer not to say

Contact Details

Please share your contact details below if you would like to receive updates about how you can have your say on health and care services in Leeds and/or if you would like to find out more about joining the PPG.

Please tick to receive more information about:

• Finding out more about health and care services in Leeds
• Finding out more about joining the PPG

Your personal information will be kept separate from the answers and your response to the questions will be anonymous. We will be in touch with you soon.

• Name
• Address
• Email
• Telephone
• GP practice