New GP surgeries answer Oldham call

Four new doctor’s surgeries have been prescribed after Oldhamers told NHS chiefs what they wanted.

Extra GPs services will treat some 24,000 residents in Fitton Hill (Deanshut Road), Hollinwood (Cardiff Close) and Coldhurst (Westhulme) in July. A fourth will open in John Street, in the town centre, in October.

Gail Richards, chief executive of NHS Oldham, the organisation responsible for NHS services in the borough, said: “We went out and talked to people in parts of Oldham where there were fewer GPs to find out what they wanted.

“Three of these new practices are the result of that after we were given extra money from the Government which allowed us to move more quickly with these plans.

“I’m delighted to finally be able to sign the contracts and look forward to seeing them up and running and providing top quality services to the people of Oldham.”

The town centre and Coldhurst surgeries will be run by Go To Doc, which currently provides daytime and out of hours GP and out of hours dental services in Oldham and other parts of Greater Manchester.

The ones in Fitton Hill and Hollinwood will be run by local not-for-profit organisation Hope Citadel Healthcare.

The town centre practice, based where the current walk-in centre is, will open from 8am to 8pm seven days a week, 365 days a year.

Patients will be able to register there, or remain registered with their own GP but drop-in for an appointment. The walk-in centre will move to the new integrated care centre in September.

Laura Neilson, Hope Citadel chairman, said: “We want our patients to live life to the full and will do all we can to enable that to happen.”

Go To Doc chief executive David Beckett said: “We’re delighted to be extending our primary care services in our original core area of Oldham.”