News / Scalloway surgery takes on Bixter practice
THE FUTURE of a single-handed independent GP practice in Shetland has been secured, the local health board confirmed on Thursday.
The Bixter health centre on Shetland’s west side is to be taken over by the doctors who run the neighbouring practice in Scalloway.
NHS Shetland said that the decision to put Paul Veenhuizen in charge of Bixter will make both practices more “resilient and sustainable”.
Local people became concerned about the future of the Bixter surgery when its GP Caroline Hinton resigned at the end of last month.
Since then the practice has been run by local GP Mark Aquilina while NHS Shetland put a contract out to tender.
Two practices bid to take it over and Scalloway won. NHS Shetland chief executive Ralph Roberts said both tenders were “excellent” and thanked staff at Bixter for continuing to provide a service during “a period of uncertainty”.
Health board chairman Ian Kinniburgh said the practice was never under threat, adding: “We think we have ended up with two practices that have been strengthened and are therefore more resilient and sustainable going forward.”
Meanwhile Veenhuizen, who will be recruiting a new GP for Bixter, reassured patients in both practices that “it will be very much a case of business as usual”.
Councillor Cecil Smith, who chairs the new integrated joint board for community health and social care, said they would be working closely with the practice teams to ensure “a smooth handover”.
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