The NHS Norfolk and Waveney Integrated Care Board (ICB) has been working closely with the Board and executive management team at OneNorwich Practices Limited (OneNorwich Practices) in recent months to support the organisation while it undertook an internal review of its financial position.

The directors of OneNorwich Practices have now agreed that the best way to protect services and jobs is to transition staff and services to other providers in the system over the coming months, and then close down the organisation.

Ensuring continuity of primary medical care services to the registered patients of Norwich Practices Health Centre, and all the patients who access services provided by OneNorwich Practices, are the ICB’s and OneNorwich Practice’s top priorities.

OneNorwich Practices delivers primary medical services in Norwich and the surrounding areas through the following commissioned services: Norwich Practices Health Centre; the Norwich Walk-in Centre; the Vulnerable Adults Service; the Lymphoedema Service and Asthma in Schools pilot in Norwich and the surrounding areas, as well as other targeted patient services.

The ICB is now working closely with OneNorwich Practices to safeguard the continued provision of these services so patient care is not impacted, and to protect the wellbeing of its staff.

Paul Wood, Interim Chief Executive of OneNorwich Practices said: “It is with great sadness that we have come to the difficult conclusion that OneNorwich Practices cannot remain financially and operationally sustainable beyond 2023.

“We have commissioned Poppleton and Appleby to work with us to close down the business in the most efficient way. We will also be working very closely with NHS Norfolk and Waveney ICB to ensure an orderly transition and we will assist in the development of service transfer plans to safeguard services and transfer over as many OneNorwich Practices staff as possible to the new provider or providers once these are identified.

“We will not be making any statutory redundancies until we know the outcome of the service transfer plans work. We will be commencing a statutory 45-day consultation period and staff will be given support on talking thorough the options available to them.

“On behalf of the Board and OneNorwich Practices management team I would like to thank all our staff for their continued dedication and support in providing care to our patients during this challenging time.”

Tracey Bleakley, Chief Executive of NHS Norfolk and Waveney ICB, said: “I would like to recognise the extensive work undertaken by the OneNorwich Practices executive team and Board to mitigate the impact of its financial difficulties on its patients and staff, who have continued to provide high quality care to their patients during this very difficult time.

“We are naturally disappointed that this decision has had to be made. Our priority now is to minimise the level of disruption to patient services and ensure that patients are able to receive the care they need.

“We have been and will continue to work closely with colleagues across the Norwich Primary Care Network and OneNorwich Practices to continue to provide patient services through the transition period, whilst also securing alternative providers to take on the full suite of services that they were contracted to deliver.”

NHS Norfolk and Waveney ICB has begun working with healthcare providers across Norwich Primary Care Network (PCN) and the wider Norfolk and Waveney healthcare sector to arrange interim services to minimise the disruption to patients. NHS Norfolk and Waveney ICB will also be working closely with healthcare providers in the Norwich PCN to support them during the transition period.

Further updates will be provided as more information becomes available.