GP practices in Grantham and Sleaford to stop providing ‘treatment room’ services due to lack of funding

GP practices will stop providing ‘treatment room services’ due to increased costs and lack of funding.

Practices in Grantham and Sleaford have announced they will stop providing minor medical procedures, such as treating wounds, from Wednesday, October 2.

Surgeries are ending their contracts with the Lincolnshire Integrated Care Board (ICB), which funds the services at county practices.

A spokesperson for Lincolnshire ICB said: “GP practices in Grantham and Sleaford areas have given notice to the ICB that they will stop providing their treatment room service contract in October.

“The ICB is working with system partners to ensure an alternative service is available and patients can access the service/s they need to.

“Treatment room services in other areas are not affected.”

Several Grantham practices have taken to social media, stating that it has become “unsustainable” for them to carry on providing such appointments as they are losing money for each one. They have also cited the pressures of increased costs for insurance, staff and energy bills.

A spokesperson for Caythorpe and Ancaster Medical Practice, one of the several practices that made the announcement, said: “Decisions of this type are not taken lightly and we are genuinely sorry that we are unable to continue to offer this service.

“We have a duty to provide you with the very best care that we can and we feel that we are the right place to provide this service to patients, we are good at it and patients receive excellent care.

“Unfortunately we are unable to continue to provide a service that makes such a significant loss.

“We hope in the future with adequate resources that this service can return to our practice.”

From October 2, the following services will be affected:

• If someone comes out of hospital with stitches or clips in a wound, these will be removed by another service.

• If someone has a dressing on a wound that needs replacing, this will be provided by another service

• If someone develops a wound, they will be signposted for an assessment with another service, who will manage the treatment

• Any wound that is from a minor injury that occurred in the last 48 hours will be treated at a minor injury service or urgent treatment centre (UTC), or accident and emergency

• If someone has a complex wound, including a cavity wound after surgery or an infected wound, they will be signposted to another provider

Anyone who has concerns over the announcement is encouraged to contact their local GP practice.