St Wulfstan Surgery awarded contract to deliver GP services in Upper Lighthorne

NHS Coventry and Warwickshire Integrated Care Board (ICB) has awarded St Wulfstan Surgery the contract to deliver GP services to Upper Lighthorne following a successful tender process.

Upper Lighthorne was identified as an area needing additional primary care provision due to the new housing development, which is part of Stratford District Council's core strategy and will see 3,000 new homes built over a 10-year period - potentially increasing the local population by more than 7,000.

The process to select a provider for GP branch surgery in Upper Lighthorne began in January 2024, following engagement with local stakeholders. Interested practices were asked to submit their proposals to the ICB as part of a procurement process, which led to St Wulfstan being chosen as the new provider.

St Wulfstan is rated Outstanding by the CQC and was rated the tenth best practice in England, and first for practices with over 10,000 patients, in the 2023 GP Patient Survey and have experience of opening a branch surgery.

The new branch practice is set to open in summer 2027 as part of the new village centre.  The new premises are part of a joint development with Stratford District Council.

Alison Cartwright, Chief Integration Officer at NHS Coventry and Warwickshire ICB, said: "We're delighted to announce that St Wulfstan Surgery has been awarded the contact to deliver a GP branch surgery for Upper Lighthorne and its growing population.

"We'd like to thank local stakeholders and Stratford District Council for their continued engagement throughout this process and look forward to working with them to ensure we continue to meet the healthcare needs of the local community."

Cllr Liz Coles, Housing and Customer Services Portfolio at Stratford-on-Avon District Council said: "The GP Practice and Community Centre will provide several important facilities for the community at Upper Lighthorne.

"The appointment of St.Wulfstan as the GP provider is a major step forward and the District Council is looking forward to working with them to provide a caring medical facility for the whole community.

"The need for a such a facility at Upper Lighthorne has been highlighted by the work carried out by members of the 24 Parishes in the area and demonstrates the need for community infrastructure to go hand-in-hand with housing development."

Dr Faris Al-Ramadani, GP Partner at St Wulfstan Surgery, said: "At St Wulfstan Surgery we have a genuine passion for delivering the highest quality of care to our patients. As such, we feel privileged to have this opportunity to provide this same high quality of care to the residents of Upper Lighthorne and its surrounds."

Sir Jeremy Wright MP, Member of Parliament for Kenilworth and Southam, said: "I am pleased to see the ICB has now awarded the contract to supply GP services from the new facility to St Wulfstan Surgery who already look after the patients in Southam and surrounding areas.

"This is an important step towards providing medical facilities on site at Upper Lighthorne."