NHS Tees Valley CCG (the CCG) and McKenzie Group are working collaboratively to carry out an eight-week period of public engagement regarding the provision of services from Hartfields Medical Centre, which is located at Hartfields Extra Care Village in Hartlepool. The engagement will commence on Monday 9May 2022 and end at midnight on Sunday 3 July 2022.
The North East and North Cumbria ICB will take over responsibility for this work from the CCG on 1 July 2022.
Background
Hartfields Medical Centre of McKenzie Group was temporarily closed between mid-March 2020 and January 2022 because the size and layout of the building did not enable McKenzie Group to ensure a COVID-safe environment for patients and staff, in line with the strict COVID infection prevention and control measures implemented nationally at that time. It also enabled the McKenzie Group to use their staff more effectively and to help ensure compliance with social distancing requirements.
During this period, McKenzie Group submitted a draft proposal to the CCG to close Hartfields Medical Centre permanently to bring services together at their other sites to enhance clinical quality and practice resilience, to run more efficiently, and to continue to deliver high quality of care to patients.
As part of this proposal McKenzie Group undertook a six-week period of patient and stakeholder engagement between 19 July and 29 August 2021 to explore:
- what patients and stakeholders thought of the proposal to close Hartfields Medical Centre
- how patients had accessed services during the temporary closure,
- how the temporary closure had affected patients, and
- the potential impact on patients and stakeholders should Hartfields Medical Centre close permanently.
View feedback on this engagement
Why further engagement is required
The McKenzie Group draft proposal and engagement related to the potential permanent closure of the Hartfields Medical Centre. The CCG and McKenzie Group would now like to explore possibilities for providing some services from Hartfields Medical Centre as an alternative to full closure.
This engagement will therefore look more closely at the impact of a possible permanent closure, whilst also exploring alternatives to the branch being fully open and closed.
The engagement will be targeted towards those patients who would most likely be affected by potential changes to services delivered from Hartfields Medical Centre, and they have been identified as patients registered with McKenzie Group, who have attended for an appointment at Hartfields Medical Centre: –
- since it reopened on 10 January 2022, and/or
- in the two years prior to the temporary closure in March 2020.
McKenzie Group has used their clinical system to identify these patients.
How can you participate?
— Please note, this engagement closed on 3rd July 2022. Thank you to everyone who shared their feedback. —
- You can complete a survey
Although the focus of the engagement is to capture the views of those who would most likely be affected by potential changes to Hartfields Medical Centre, the survey is open to anyone who would like to complete it. This is to ensure the wider population and stakeholders of Hartlepool can give their feedback, whether or not they are registered with a McKenzie Group practice, and whether or not they have used Hartfields Medical Centre. You can: –
- Request a paper copy of the survey from any McKenzie Group practice,
- Complete the survey online, and/or
- Attend a patient engagement session
The survey can also be requested in other formats and languages by emailing necsu.engagement@nhs.net. Surveys should be completed and returned by midnight Sunday 3 July 2022.
Multiple methods will be used to advertise the engagement including print and online advertising.
- You can attend an engagement session
Before completing the survey, you may wish to attend one of the following events which have been designed to give you the opportunity to hear more information from the CCG and McKenzie Group, share your views and ask questions you may have:-
| Day | Date | Time | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thursday | 12th May 2022 | 10 am – 12 pm | Grayfields Sports Pavilion Jesmond Gardens Hartlepool TS24 8PJ |
| Saturday | 21st May 2022 | 2:30 pm – 4:30 pm | Hartfields Retirement Village Bishop Cuthbert Hartlepool TS26 0US |
| Wednesday | 25th May 2022 | 2 pm – 4 pm | Online meeting |
| Tuesday | 14th June 2022 | 2 pm – 4 pm | Grayfields Sports Pavilion Jesmond Gardens Hartlepool TS24 8PJ |
| Wednesday | 22nd June 2022 | 2:30 pm – 4:30 pm | Hartfields Retirement Village Bishop Cuthbert Hartlepool TS26 0US |
| Wednesday | 29th June 2022 | 6 pm – 8 pm | High Throston Golf Club Worset Lane Hartlepool TS26 0UG |
Whilst we hope to be able to undertake all five face-to-face events this is dependent on any Covid-19 restrictions in place at the time, and if it is not possible for them to go ahead, additional events will be held online instead.
If you have any questions regarding the events, please email necsu.engagement@nhs.net.
What if you have questions or require support to complete the survey?
- The survey is available in other formats and languages. Here is an Easy Read version of the survey. Please email necsu.engagement@nhs.net or call Healthwatch Hartlepool on 01429 288 146 for more information. All surveys should be completed and returned by midnight Sunday 3 July 2022,
- The list of frequently asked questions will be regularly updated throughout the engagement. View the most recent version.
- The engagement sessions listed above will give you the opportunity to ask further questions,
- Healthwatch Hartlepool are attending the patient engagement sessions and will be able to support you if you require help to complete the survey,
- Healthwatch Hartlepool will also be undertaking targeted engagement sessions with people from groups with protected characteristics
We want to hear the views of as many people as possible, and thank you, in advance, for taking the time to provide your feedback.
Engagement Report
Please read the engagement report. McKenzie Group, NENC ICB and stakeholders are currently considering the findings of this report.