Update on Greenlaw and Pollokshields Medical Centre

Dr Arfan and Dr Moughal dissolved the GP partnership. Unfortunately, despite best efforts, we're unable to re tender the Practice to other doctors. Therefore, patients will be reallocated to another Practice in the postcode area.

You should continue to make appointments with Greenlaw Medical Practice and Pollokshields Medical Centre up to the date of your transfer to your new GP practice. Your letter informing you of your new GP practice will include the date of transfer.

Greenlaw Medical Practice and Pollokshields Medical Centre will still be able to issue your repeat prescriptions until the date of transfer to your new GP. It would be advisable to ensure that you have enough medication(s) to see you through the date of transfer and beyond.

East Renfrewshire HSCP will notify you of your new GP practice. Letters will be sent between April and the end of May 2025.

Patients are free to register with any GP whose catchment area includes their address, and can contact any GP practice they wish to register with.

If you do not live in the postcode area for the Practice you are registered with, you'll be reallocated to a Practice within the catchment for your registered address.

Closure is not a cost saving exercise. There is no saving to the HSCP or the Board.

The HSCP works closely with GPs across East Renfrewshire, as does Glasgow HSCP in its areas of responsibility. In this case, and for reasons they wish to remain confidential, the GP Partners chose to return their GMS contact on 31 July 2024.

The GPs have returned their contracts. We're bound by law and procurement procedures and cannot simply just give a contract to one of the former contractors.

The GP Partners handed back their GMS contract to the health board on 31 July 2024. Since this time we've continued operating both sites as business as usual. Unfortunately, and despite best efforts, we're not able to keep them open so they'll close and patients will be reallocated to other practices.

The former GP Partners.

Locum GPs have supported us to continue to operate both sites as business as usual since the GP Partners handed back their contract on 31 July 2024. For a number of complex and confidential reasons, the buildings are not available to us to lease to other Doctors.

The lease for both sites is not available to do so.

East Renfrewshire has good coverage of GPs and other primary care services.

Practices have had to apply to take more patients and we've had a good response to this. Expressions of interest require a robust business plan, which includes details of their services, accommodation and development plans to meet the needs of new patients.

Part of the process for Practices who've applied to take more patients included submitting detailed business plans.

Yes, this is a challenge, particularly in Newton Mearns.

This has been explored and so far we have been unsuccessful in securing capital funding. However, discussions are underway to include this in the local development plan for East Renfrewshire, but we'll need to find alternative funding sources in lieu of capital funding.

The allocations will be done in phases and we expect this to be complete by the end of June.

The areas are being treated separately and residents of East Renfrewshire will be allocated to another East Renfrewshire practice. The same process will apply to residents of Glasgow South.

Individuals can register with a new GP practice that covers their catchment area at any time. Catchment areas and practices that serve them can be found on NHS Inform website.

We cannot look at every individual case but our review of business plans and the allocation process, will ensure patients are allocated to a suitable provider.

Please check the NHS Inform website which will advise of practices serving your home postcode.

In East Renfrewshire, only Greenlaw has closed it's list to new registrations.

Individuals are free to move practice at any time.

Everyone will be issued with a letter with details of the practice they are being allocated to.

We'll try and allocate patients to the closest available practice. Greenlaw had a large catchment area and some new allocations might actually be closer.

We're not asking anyone to do that but you are free to do so. Families with children will be allocated to a new practice as a family and will not be shared across different Practices.

No. We have received a very positive response from local practices and the allocation process will begin in a few weeks, with completion of the process by the end of June.

Patients will be allocated to alternative GP practice and will be able to access urgent care and home visits.