Reply from NHS Lanarkshire Chief Executive

Dear Ms Mackenzie, Thank you for your recent correspondence. Your praise of the GPs at Greenhills Medical Practice in the role they have played in supporting you over recent years is noted and much appreciated.For background, the GPs have expressed a desire to leave the practice due to a combination of circumstances. We are thankful to the GPs for the health care they have provided to the local community, as your correspondence highlights. Please be assured that we are working with the current GPs to support them to continue with their duties at the practice as normal until October. Following the announcement by the current practice owners that they plan to leave on 31 October 2018, NHS Lanarkshire has started a process to find GPs to take over the running of Greenhills. I would like to take this opportunity to emphasise that our primary aim is for the practice to continue as a going concern with any new owner taking responsibility for staff and providing primary medical services to patients in the locality - with the aim of ensuring as much continuity of services as possible. To this end, I can confirm that the formal process around advertising the practice is now underway and we anticipate receiving expressions of interest in the near future. Staff, patients and stakeholders will be kept fully informed of developments. Please also be assured that any new GP would take time to understand patient history and build trust with patients. Yours sincerely, Calum Campbell Chief Executive