GP surgery among four handed back to NHS

Bargoed’s Bryntirion Surgery will be back under NHS management from April.

A partnership by doctors Jalil Ahmed and Jonathan Allinson, supported by Leicestershire-based private firm eHarley Street, took over the running of the surgery from the Aneurin Bevan University Health Board (ABUHB) in early 2024. 

It was one of several GP surgeries across Gwent taken over by the partnership, which been beset by problems.

Since taking over the surgeries, it has had to rely on help from the health board after failing to pay locum doctors, suppliers and staff pension contributions. It also owes payments to HMRC. 

Bryntirion is one of four surgeries now being handed back, and comes after the partnership voluntarily resigned the contract to run the Brynmawr Medical Centre last week.

Aberbeeg Medical Centre, Blaenavon Medical Practice, and Tredegar Medical Practice have also been resigned by the partnership. 

However, there is currently no indication that Gelligaer Surgery, which is also run by the partnership, will be handed back to the NHS.

A health board spokesman said: “Following the announcement that Brynmawr Medical Practice will be handed back to the health board, we have now also received the resignation of the GP partnership between Dr Allinson and Dr Ahmed for the contracts that they hold at four more practices.”

They added: “We are continuing to work closely with the staff at all the practices involved, as well as with the local communities they serve to ensure they receive good access to quality primary care services within their local areas.

“We want to thank these communities for their understanding and support as we transition these arrangements. 

“The GP partnership remains in enhanced monitoring for the remaining practices they hold contracts for within the health board and we will continue to work closely with them to ensure primary care services are sustainable and meet the needs of our patients.” 

The partnership’s remaining contracts are for the Lliswery surgery in Newport and Pontypool surgery. 

Practices in Aberbeeg and Blaenavon will be managed by the board from March 1 and the practices in Bryntirion and Tredegar from April 1. 

At the health board’s most recent meeting, it said its monitoring hasn’t identified any patient safety concerns and it has been checking how the practices handle calls from patients and whether appointments are available, among other issues.