Merger Update and Survey

 

Thank you for your continued support of our surgeries and staff, it is greatly appreciated and valued by all our teams.

We are writing to all of our registered patients to inform you that Fitzalan Medical Group, including the branch surgery at Wick, and the Coppice Surgery and Angmering Medical Centre, are proposing to merge within the coming year (2026).

We want to reassure you that these proposals would not affect the services you currently receive, and no action is required on your part.

Importantly, none of our surgeries are closing. All sites would remain in their current locations, staffed by the same teams that you know and trust. You can continue to contact your usual practice and attend appointments as normal.

We believe this merger would offer several benefits to our patients, including:

  • Improved access to a wider range of local services across all sites
  • Support from a larger team of GPs and healthcare professionals
  • Greater efficiency over time, enabling investment in clinical capacity and services.

The only change that you would notice is our new trading name and logo, as we propose to become ACF Medical Group (Angmering, Coppice and Fitzalan Medical Group). This name reflects the identities of each practice, whilst bringing them together under one banner.

Over the past five years, our practices have worked closely together as a Primary Care Network (PCN), serving a population of 30,000 patients. Together, we’ve enhanced our Clinical Pharmacy and Medicines Management services, introduced First Contact Physiotherapists for musculoskeletal care (including joint and soft tissue injections), and shared extended access and weekend cover for patients and care homes.

We are passionate about building on this collaboration to shape a resilient future for the communities we serve. We believe this merger would allow us to work more efficiently and continue improving the care we provide. At the end of this letter, you will find a list of frequently asked questions to help provide further information. We want to hear your views about our proposal and would really appreciate it if you could complete the attached survey to give us your feedback. The survey closes on Tuesday 11 November and we will carefully consider every comment and question you send to us. With the support of our patient participation groups (PPGs), we will keep you updated throughout the process. Thank you once again for your support and understanding. We remain committed to providing the highest quality care and support to our patients and local community. Yours sincerely, Mr. Shay Cacace-Garner, Dr. Martina Houska, Dr. Jeremy Mayhew, Dr. Ranjith Ponnusami and Dr. Laura Smyth (Practice Partners)

 

Fequently Asked Questions


When would this happen?

We are proposing to merge by 1 January 2026, but this would depend on a number of factors and we will need time to consider all the feedback we receive from our patients.


Would I have to travel to a different surgery for my appointment?

No - there would be no change and you would still be able to attend your usual surgery. However, a benefit would be, in the future, that you would be able to choose the surgery you visit.


Would there be staff redundancies?

No, we would continue to run all surgeries and services as they are run now. There may be opportunities, over time, to increase services and staff.


Would there be different times for surgeries?

No - the hours would stay the same.


How would patient records be shared?

Patient records are already shared, within the clinical systems, as our surgeries already work together as a Primary Care Network.


How frequently will we receive updates including feedback from the survey?

We will endeavour to keep you up to date with outcomes and progress as it happens.


Who can I talk to if I'm unsure about something or want to find out more?

Patient Participation Group (PPG) members will visit surgeries and be available to talk to patients in the waiting rooms. We will hold meetings which patients will be able to attend.

You can complete a feedback form, available from our reception areas, and we will endeavour to answer your query.

You can also leave any questions in our comments box in each surgery reception area.

We will also keep patients updated through:

  • Regular ‘update’ letters
  • Text messages and emails (depending on preferred contact methods)

Updates on our surgery websites:

Updates via surgery social media sites:

Published: Oct 9, 2025