Harringay health centre changes hands (From Haringey Independent)

Contract cancelled at Harringay health centre The Laurels

9:30am Thursday 4th November 2010 in News By Tristan Kirk

A HARINGEY health centre has changed hands after the doctors running it decided to pull out.

GPs managing The Laurels Neighbourhood Practice terminated the contract at the end of October because it was no longer making enough money, NHS Haringey has said.

Dilo Lalande, head of partnerships and stakeholders at the health trust, said the move came as a direct result of the collapse of the Camidoc deal for out-of-hours care.

He said: “With the change in out-of-hours providers, the Laurels wasn't affordable anymore and it has been handed back to NHS Haringey.

“This change is a financial matter and in terms of care, there should be no change for patients.”

He said a short consultation was carried out to find new care providers for the health centre, in St Ann's Road, Harringay, and a group of local GPs won the tender.

The new arrangement will be in place until March next year, when the long-term future of the Laurels will be determined at the same time as the out-of-hours service.

Mr Lalande told the Haringey Independent that in March next year the 8am-8pm walk-in service at both the Laurels and Hornsey Central Neighbourhood Health Centre should be restored.

The service was cut after the collapse of the Camidoc agreement in September over concerns about its financial future.

A temporary nine-month contract was given to private firm Harmoni to deliver out-of-hours care in Haringey, but this meant diverting funds away from the walk-in service.