Darlington GP practice within Dr Piper House to close

Registered patients or people that use the GP practice within Dr Piper House in Darlington on a 'drop in' basis are being reminded that it will close on 31 March 2013 and are being encouraged to register with another GP practice.

This does not effect any other services available at Dr Piper House; the Urgent Care Centre, which is also often referred to as the 'Walk in Centre' will remain open.  However, people are asked to dial 111 first, before setting off to visit the centre.  Calling 111 will ensure that they are directed to the most appropriate service to meet their needs.  111 is free to call and available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

A decision was made to close the GP practice within Dr Piper House following a review that concluded the centre did not offer value for money, as its cost per patient was much higher than similar GP services in Darlington. 

Patients should be reassured that there is sufficient capacity to cope with extra demand from any newly registered patients at other GP practices in the town and that all resources released as a result of the GP practice closing will be reinvested in local health services in Darlington.

Information about other GP practices in the town is available from www.nhs.uk.