Our practice would like to apply to NHS Integrated Care Board who commission health care for local people to change the current boundary of the practice. We are doing this to make sure we provide quality services to our patients.

If the proposal is approved, anybody living within the extended boundary will be able to register with us; this will allow us to offer primary care services to those living within the yellow areas on the map.  If you are already registered with us there will be no change for you unless you change address in the future.

What is a practice boundary?

The local area a GP practice covers is called a boundary.  Sometimes a practice may decrease or increase a boundary to manage patient numbers.

We need your views

The practice would like your views on the proposal.  Your views will be considered by the practice and Black Country Integrated Care Board to understand if the proposal will have any impacts that we hadn’t thought about.

We would like you to tell us your views by filling out this short survey.  The survey is completely anonymous. 

If you would like a paper copy of the survey please ask at Reception.

We are also holding a Drop in Session to address any further questions on 17^th April at the surgery.

Why does the practice want to increase the practice boundary?

There are several reason as to why we want to increase our boundary, as detailed below:

• Our current boundary (see second map above) is now much smaller than it was years ago (see first map above). The boundary was decreased at that time, for various reasons, but was never returned to its original size. You will note that our boundary extension proposal will still not cover the size of the area that we previously covered. The new boundary will therefore still be smaller than it was originally.
• Another reason for increasing our practice boundary is because we have many patients asking to join our list who live just out of the boundary line, and we want to be able to allow these patients to join. We know the demand is there and we want to meet it.
• Last year the NHS altered the GP registration system moving to an online system called “Register with a GP”. If a patient lives outside of our boundary the system advises them that they can only register with us at our discretion. We have many patients currently trying to register this way who we have to then approve and we want to get rid of this obstacle and extra step in the process both for patients and for staff.
• Finally, we find that the current boundary line often cuts through roads and even houses, which means those wanting to join our list often feel it is unfair if their neighbours are able to join but they can’t simply because they fall outside of the boundary line. Hence we want to resolve this problem.

How can the practice change their boundary?

To change their boundary, a practice needs to apply for permission to the Black Country Integrated Care Board (ICB), who plan and buy (commission) health care for local people, to change the current boundary of the practice.

The ICB will need to think about:

> Other GP services available
> The number of patients registered with the practice, the staff and building.
> The views of patients and stakeholders
> The impact any changes would have on patients

What do I need to do now?

You don’t need to take any action if you are already registered with our surgery. You can continue to stay registered unless your address changes significantly and falls outside of our boundary area in the future.

Will I still be able to see a doctor if more patients are registered, will this not mean fewer appointments available?

We do not anticipate a substantial increase in patient numbers by expanding our boundary but will always actively plan to ensure that we have enough staff and resources to accommodate any additional patients. We are committed to maintaining and improving the availability of appointments for both our current patients and those who newly register with us.

Rest assured, there will be no reduction in appointment availability; instead, we are dedicated to ensuring timely and comprehensive care for everyone. Our practice is already well-staffed with a diverse range of healthcare professionals, including advanced clinical practitioners, clinical pharmacists and nurses.

Will the practice have enough space to accommodate additional patients?

Our surgery currently opens during GP core hours on 8am-6.30pm during weekdays, but we still have the capacity to open beyond these hours if necessary.  However, as noted we not foresee a large increase in patients and therefore do not anticipate this will be an issue.

How many new patients do you expect will join and will this increase happen suddenly or gradually?

We anticipate a gradual increase in new patients. Many households in the proposed extended boundary area are likely already registered with a GP surgery and we expect manageable growth. This gradual increase will allow us to respond appropriately by scaling up staff and resources as needed.

We do not foresee a huge influx of patients and therefore do not expect the boundary extension of affect car parking.  If our resources are stretched though we are prepared to consider different ways of working, such as offering more out of hours appointments.