Dear Patient, below you will find a copy of the letter sent out to patients from the Borders NHS relative to the Coldingham surgery and dispensary.
Coldingham Branch Surgery and dispensing service.
Further to my letter dated 2 July 2021, I am writing to inform you that, unfortunately despite our best efforts, we have been unable to find a solution to address the significant staffing issues facing Eyemouth Medical Practice.
At a meeting of NHS Borders Board on 2 September 2021, Board members considered the conclusions of our work, and noted that the Coldingham Branch Surgery and Dispensing Service are no longer sufficiently resilient or sustainable to remain viable. As a result, the Board made the difficult decision to endorse the closure of these services in Coldingham.
In reviewing the situation it became clear that the difficulties in recruiting new medical and clinical staff to the Practice have created a major risk that continuing to provide services in Coldingham will impact on the overall sustainability of the entire service run by Eyemouth Medical Practice.
As part of our work, we reviewed each of the responses from the public to the letter you received, and I would like to thank everyone who contributed to this. The feedback underlined how the closures would have an impact on those of you who use services from the Coldingham surgery, and so NHS Borders will continue to work with the GPs and local communities to identify ways to mitigate any impact as far as possible.
The last day of operation of the Coldingham Branch Surgery and Dispensing Service will be Friday 1 October. From Monday 4 October, all appointments will be provided from the Eyemouth surgery. Home visits, where deemed clinically appropriate, will continue to be provided to eligible patients. Medicines will be dispensed from alternative pharmacies in the local area; further information on the transfer of medication dispensing for Coldingham patients will be published by the practice on their website shortly. Please contact your local pharmacy directly to discuss how you can obtain your dispensed medicines if you or someone you nominate are unable to collect them in person. We would always encourage medicines to be collected directly from a pharmacy wherever possible as this provides the best opportunity for pharmacy staff to offer you advice on how to use your medicines and answer any questions you may have.
If you rely on public transport, Borders Buses operate a service between Coldingham and Eyemouth. In addition, community transport is available to anyone in the community who cannot access transport. As the service is provided through volunteers people are asked to book with as much notice as possible. There is a charge for this service which will be discussed at the time of booking. To book Community Transport please call 0300 456 1985.
Myself and the Practice Partners are grateful to the community for your contributions and are sorry that we have not been able to find a solution to keep the Coldingham Branch Surgery and Dispensing Service open.
Yours sincerely
Chris Myers
General Manager
