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A new contractor has been secured to take over the running of three GP surgeries in Fife which had been under the management of the health board.

NHS Fife will now hand the running of Kinghorn Medical Practice, Valleyfield Practice and the Links Practice in Burntisland over to Dr Gilani and partners.

Work has been ongoing for some time to return them to independent contractor status. Earlier this year, a tender process was initiated through Public Contracts Scotland (PCS) and bids were received.

Dr Gilani and Partners, which is part of Ayrshire Medical Group, currently operates a number of GP practices across Scotland, serving approximately 24,000 patients.It operates as standalone sites, but can draw upon the full support of the group - and a number o ftheir doctors have worked locally and visited the areas ahead of submitting their bid. Patients at the three surgeries have bene informed of the change.

There are 3368 patients per GP at Kinghorn Medical Practice. - one of three set to come under management (Pic: Google Maps)

Nicky Connor , director of the Fife Health and Social Care Partnership, said: “We are looking forward to working closely with the group to develop a detailed plan for the transfer so we can make sure there is a seamless transition for patients. We expect to complete the transition later this year.

“The necessary steps are also being taken to ensure people who attend those practices have continued and uninterrupted access to local medical services, so they are able to see the right person, at the right time as these changes are carried out.”

A representative for Dr Gilani & Partners said they were delighted to take over the running of the surgeries.

“Our medical group has expanded over recent years and currently cares for more around 24,000 patients across Scotland. This enables us to pull on the collective resources we have across the group to provide the best possible local medical services for the communities we serve. We are also working very closely with NHS Fife and the Fife Health and Social Care Partnership to ensure minimal disruption for patients while the transition takes place.

“We are keen to engage with the local community, and hope to hold some public open days in early 2024 to introduce our team and collate patient feedback.”

Three Fife GP surgeries set to be run by new contractor