NHS Property Services has acquired the GP practice building in the village of Kirkoswald, Cumbria, helping to keep an important healthcare facility at the heart of the rural community from being lost.
The future of the premises was uncertain following the retirement of the building’s former GP – who also owned the property. The acquisition ensured the practice remained part of the healthcare estate and could continue serving people in the village in the north of Penrith.
Responding to a request from Cumbria ICB, NHS Property Services’ (NHSPS) investment management team moved quickly to acquire the property to secure its future within the healthcare estate.
Saving the practice for healthcare use was vital for the rural community of Kirkoswald. With limited public transport, the loss of the premises would have left patients facing journeys of up to an hour to reach another GP or health service.
NHSPS’s investment management team worked closely with their internal advisory and facilities management colleagues, and local partners, including the ICB and practice staff, to ensure the changeover went smoothly and patient care continued without disruption.
Charlie Moore, Transaction Manager at NHSPS who led on the acquisition, said: “We’re delighted to have brought this acquisition to a successful conclusion. Not only does it mean securing continued delivery of healthcare for local residents, it means keeping an important asset within the healthcare estate.
“NHSPS was uniquely placed to make this acquisition possible. Its successful completion reflects close collaboration across the Investment Management, Strategy and Delivery teams within NHSPS, working alongside the estates team at North East and North Cumbria ICB.”
NHSPS and Cumbria ICB worked together on the acquisition so local people could continue to receive care without disruption. The property acquisition was completed the same day the existing GP retired, and the incoming GP team began at the practice the day after.
Care continued in the same familiar location, with interim arrangements in place so the full lease documentation could be finalised while the GP practice stayed open. On top of this, rural GPs like Kirkoswald that are a dispensary and prescribing GP, feature a mini, non-commercial pharmacy on site. This is massively important for local communities as it provides both time and cost saving for patients - as the next-nearest pharmacy is also some distance away.
Ben Gammer, Estate Strategy Lead for NHSPS North, said: “Protecting buildings like Kirkoswald GP practice is an important part of our wider neighbourhood health agenda and ensuring the NHS estate supports accessible, joined-up care in the communities it serves.
“By keeping this practice in NHS use, we have ensured local access to care and supported the government’s 10 Year Health Plan ambition to shift more care from hospitals into neighbourhoods, closer to people’s homes. It also gives services in this rural community a more secure foundation for the future.”
The acquisition demonstrates how NHS Property Services works with Trusts and ICBs across the UK to identify healthcare buildings at risk of being lost and secure them for continued NHS use. This protects local access to care and helps ensure that remote communities such as Kirkoswald have the right estate in place to meet future demand.
As the new owner and landlord, NHSPS is also providing the long-term support the service needs beyond the acquisition. The current GP group is operating from the property under a 15-year lease, giving the practice greater certainty as it continues caring for people in and around Kirkoswald.
NHS Property Services will provide full facility management services for Kirkoswald, including responsibility for all utilities. The building will be maintained to a high standard, with full compliance requirements being managed and monitored by NHSPS, who are already delivering 100% compliance across the rest of their properties in Cumbria.
Then select "Add to Home Screen"
