THE hunt is on for a new provider for a medical group after the GPs that run it resigned their contract.

The newly-formed Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care Board (ICB) will begin its search for a new GP provider for Central Lakes Medical Group, following the decision from its GP partners to give notice on their contract.

Lancashire and South Cumbria ICB’s Primary Care Contracting Group met on Thursday (August 4) to determine the approach that would be taken to ensure continued access to GP practice services for the patients registered at the practice.

The group agreed that the preferred option would be to identify a new GP Practice Provider to continue providing services for patients.

Read more: GP partners to ‘move on’ after resigning contract to run medical group

The ICB will now ensure that all primary medical providers, both locally and nationally, are aware of the opportunity to take on the service.

According to the board, the 6,000 registered patients at its Ambleside and Hawkshead practices will receive confirmation of this decision in writing over the coming days along with information about how they can engage with the local ICB team throughout the process.

A spokesman for Lancashire and South Cumbria ICB said: “Dr Ward, Dr Davies and Dr Cook (the GP partners) have not taken this decision lightly and are working with Lancashire and South Cumbria ICB to ensure there is a smooth transition at the end of December.

“As this process is likely to take some time, we will be working with local stakeholders to appoint a provider to take over the running of the practice on an interim basis; this arrangement will begin from 1 January 2023 and end on 31 March 2023, by which time the new GP Practice Provider will have been confirmed and will be in place.

“The ICB is committed to ensuring that all patients within Lancashire and South Cumbria continue to have access to high quality General Practice services.”

Both the Ambleside and Hawkshead surgeries will remain fully open and patients can continue to access them as normal.

The ICB will be welcoming feedback from patients through a questionnaire which will be circulated to them in the coming weeks.