NORTHLANDS surgery and Patford House Partnership in Calne are planning to formally merge by April 2016, subject to legal and financial processes being completed.

Initially, the two Practices will work more closely together informally in the provision of primary care medical services in the Calne community and Sutton Benger before a formal merger on April 1, 2016.

Long-standing working relationships already exist between the two practices, but are set to become a single larger unit to respond to the challenges and opportunities facing primary care.

Dr Richard Leach, senior partner of Northlands Surgery, said: “We strongly believe that by working together, we will be better able to respond to the changing face of primary care and deliver an even better service to our patients in Calne and the surrounding area.”

Plans remain at an early stage and the announcement coincides with the beginning of a process of consultation with patients, staff, the local community, Wiltshire’s Clinical Commissioning Groups and NHS England.

Dr Paul Harris, senior partner of The Patford House Partnership, said: “This is a very exciting development for both practices. As media reports regularly highlight, GP surgeries are under ever-increasing pressure to deliver more despite shrinking resources and an ageing population with more complex needs.”

Alison Ingham, practice manager and non-clinical partner at Northlands Surgery, said that the bigger practice, with just short of 9,000 patients from Patford House Partnership and over 10,500 patients from Northlands, would leave them in a better position to provide the services that people want.

An NHS England spokesperson said: “NHS England is aware that Northlands Surgery and Patford House Partnership will be working as a federation and we are satisfied that as a result there will not be a reduction in primary care medical services for patients.

“We will be considering the request to formally merge and will work with the practices and the local community to ensure any future arrangements meet the needs of patients.”

The NHS and social care were major talking points at a Q&A session for prospective parliamentary candidates in Calne last week and has dominated the national election picture.

David Evans, chair of the patient participation group at Northlands Surgery, said: “It’s early days but I am generally in favour because it will possibly bring specialist services.

“If you get a larger number of doctors and nurses you are likely to have more specialism which will benefit the patients. I think it should be a benefit to the patients in the future.”