Agreement ‘in near future’ over Alderney GP practice
A FIRM agreement between the States of Alderney and the island’s GP practice, Island Medical Centre, is set to be reached in ‘the very near future’, a statement from the parties has said.
In early May, IMC announced it would have to close because the surgery was making a loss and the island’s sole doctor, Dr Simon Hamilton, was exhausted and at risk of burnout. The closure was averted when Queens Road Medical Practice agreed to provide two doctors to work in rotation with Dr Hamilton for a month, which ends in early June.
A joint statement said constructive discussions between Island Medical Centre’s owners and representatives of the States had resulted in positive progress being made to secure the future provision of GP services on Alderney.
‘In the light of this progress, Queens Road Medical Practice has kindly agreed to continue to work alongside IMC’s Dr Simon Hamilton,’ it stated.
‘This is subject to a firm agreement being reached between the States of Alderney and the IMC in the very near future. All parties involved are working tirelessly and collaboratively. They are acutely aware of the potential impact in the community.’
In a bid to reduce pressure on GPs, administration staff and pharmacy services, Alderney people are being asked to think twice before requesting additional repeat prescriptions, repeat enquiries and asking for complete copies of medical records.
Alderney is home to about 2,100 people. Of those, 679 are aged 65 to 84 and 118 are aged over 85. Half of all homes contain at least one person aged 65 or older, according to 2021 census information.
