The Co-op’s GP surgery consultation is to continue

The Co-op’s GP surgery consultation is to continue

A number of ‘positive discussions’ about the future of the business are said to have taken place, with an announcement due ‘very soon’.

In February it was announced that 25 jobs were at risk at Channel Islands Co-operative Medical Care, which had around 8,000 patients on its books at surgeries in St Clement, St Helier and St Peter but was proving unsustainable to run.

At the time, the management said it could not say if the business would be taken over, sold or closed, but promised to keep patients informed. The consultation had been due to close in April but was put on hold due to the Covid-19 outbreak, during which GPs were temporarily employed by the government.

Mark Cox, chief executive officer for the Channel Islands Co-operative Society, said now the contract with the government had ended, and GPs were once again employed by private companies, the consultation would continue.

‘In February we announced that we would enter into a three-month consultation period to decide the future of our medical-care business,’ he said. ‘Soon after announcing this decision the business was significantly impacted as a result of Covid-19.

‘We decided to put the consultation period on hold and within that time the Government of Jersey also stepped in and offered financial support to all Island surgeries. That contract with the government has now ended and our consultation process with medical-care colleagues will now continue.

‘A definite future for our medical-care business has not been decided but we have had a number of positive discussions. The consultation period is still ongoing and we will announce the future of the business very soon. We aim to cause as little disruption to all our patients as possible.’

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