Proposal to close Cape Horn Medical Centre

Dear patient,

We are writing to you about a proposal to close Cape Horn Medical Centre. We want to let you know about our reasons for this difficult choice and invite you to share your thoughts with us.

Hoyland Medical Practice currently operates from two sites:

The Cape Horn Medical Centre building was never designed to function as a medical facility, and this has become increasingly apparent as healthcare has evolved. In the age of modern medicine, we need to be able to operate from premises where a full range of medical services can be provided. Unfortunately, this is not currently possible at Cape Horn Medical Centre, and patients are already frequently travelling to our main site in Hoyland for certain treatments and procedures that cannot be offered at our branch site. Despite repeated refurbishments, improvements, and attempts at modernisation over the last several years, the building is just not suitable to provide the level of service our patients deserve.

We also need to have a minimum level of staffing at each location for services to run safely and smoothly, and it has become increasingly difficult to make sure we have enough staff at both sites.

We have tried to find alternative premises within High Green itself, but unfortunately no suitable sites are available.

Having considered all these factors, we believe that closing our branch site is unfortunately the only viable option available to us to make sure our GP practice remains sustainable and functioning well.

We want to reassure you that if Cape Horn Medical Centre was to close, patients would remain registered with Hoyland Medical Practice by default and would continue to have access to the same services, and more, at our main site. We would very much like our Cape Horn Medical Centre patients to remain registered with our practice, and we have the capacity to accommodate you at Hoyland. The same team you know at Cape Horn Medical Centre – including our receptionists, doctors and nurses – would continue working from Hoyland.

We fully appreciate that, for some patients, travelling to Hoyland may be difficult or even impossible. We genuinely regret that this proposal could create difficulties for some of our patients, and we understand that some people may want to register with a practice closer to where they live. We have spoken with our colleagues at Chapelgreen Surgery, which operates from two sites at High Green and Burncross. They have confirmed that they have capacity to take on patients who may decide that registering with them would be more suitable. We would work closely with them to help ensure that any transfer of care is as smooth as possible.

There are also other surgeries in the area, and you can find out whether or not you are in their catchment by visiting www.nhs.uk/service-search/find-a-gp

Before a decision is made, we want to hear what our patients think about potentially closing Cape Horn Medical Centre. This will help us make the best decision for our patients. You can have your
say by completing the patient survey online at www.bit.ly/capehornclosure or by completing a paper copy available from the Practice.

The survey will run from 16 October to 15 November. If you need help to complete the survey, please speak to staff at the Practice.

Yours faithfully,
GP Partners & Practice Managers
Hoyland Medical Practice

Take the Online Survey