Suffolk GP Federation is a GP Federation of 61 independent GP practices in Suffolk with a total registered population of 540,000. It is at present a registered community interest company, but is considering becoming one large partnership.
Dr Paul Driscoll is its chairman. It won a ã10 million contract to provide a full community service for patients with diabetes for five years from April 2014. It offers diabetes screening, training and care for patients with a dedicated helpline and mobile dietetic, podiatry and antenatal clinics in the GP surgeries. It has helped to launch the Suffolk GP Fellowship scheme, which offers trainees a twelve month contract with training opportunities. It is intended to boost recruitment of GPs in the county.
It was founded in 2007 and now provides a portfolio of NHS-funded services in Suffolk and northeast Essex. These include:
1. Urgent care â out-of-hours, GP+ (weekend and evening booked appointments), ED streaming in Ipswich and West Suffolk hospitals and a minor injuries centre in Felixstowe. 2. Primary care - Unity GP practice in Haverhill. 3. Community services including ultrasound, cardiology, diabetes, podiatry, fracture prevention, bladder and bowel, and stoma.
It also has a portfolio of Suffolk primary care support services including GP and nurse retention and support, training and development and other member services.
It runs a service called Suffolk GP+ which offers appointments to patients on bank holidays and out of hours. Patients attending the A&E department at Ipswich Hospital and a West Suffolk Hospital, who are assessed as have minor ailments are offered an appointment with the service, which has access to their GP record. ã2 million from the Prime MinisterâÂÂs Challenge Fund finances the service.
It launched Suffolk Primary Care in April 2017. This is a partnership of 12 GP practices with a total of 102,529 registered patients. It plans to implement new care models using pharmacists, physiotherapists and other professionals to support doctors.
It took over the Christmas Maltings & Clements Practice in Haverhill in May 2017.