Dear Patient

You may be aware that Dr Ranjit Bahra retired on 19th January 2024 after 22 years as a GP Partner in Wokingham. We’re sure that you will join us in wishing him all the very best for his retirement. His departure means we will be implementing some minor changes to services at both Wokingham Medical Centre and Burma Hills Surgery from 18th March 2024.

We will be unifying the IT systems at Wokingham Medical Centre and Burma Hills Surgery in order to improve patient care. We will continue to provide GP appointments at Burma Hills Surgery and these will be available each morning from Monday to Friday. After the unification of the IT system, Burma Hills Surgery patients will be able to arrange appointments at Wokingham Medical Centre and Wokingham Medical Centre patients will be able to arrange appointments at Burma Hills Surgery (for greater patient convenience). Our GP service is enhanced by a comprehensive range of professional healthcare professionals including advanced nurse
practitioners, nurses, health care assistants, physician associates, pharmacists, paramedics, physiotherapists, social prescribers, health and wellbeing coaches, and mental health workers – all aimed at ensuring you have access to the care that best meets your health needs.

Like practices across the country, we face growing pressures on our services and we are doing our very best to meet these challenges within our limited resources. It has not proved possible to recruit a GP to run Burma Hills Surgery single handedly, but we are doing our utmost to ensure continuity of care and ensure you have
access to the most appropriate and timely healthcare.

Please see the Frequently Asked Questions below for more information. We will also be running a series of online and in person events for patients who wish to ask additional questions.

The Partners

FAQs Patients

I am currently a Burma Hills Surgery patient: where will my appointments be after the IT merger?

There will be continue to be appointments at the Ashridge Road site (as Burma Hills Surgery will be known after the IT merger) along with a greater selection of clinician appointments at Wokingham Medical Centre.

I am currently a Wokingham Medical Centre patient: where will my appointments be after the IT merger?

After the merger, you will have the option of being seen at the Ashridge Road site, if you find that more convenient, otherwise you will continue to be seen at Wokingham Medical Centre.

I am currently a Burma Hills Surgery patient: who will be my named GP after the merger?

Patients will be distributed among the GPs so that everyone has a named GP. A named GP is responsible for a patient’s overall care, however modern Primary Care encompasses a large group of clinicians who patients are directed to depending on their clinical need.

Where can I park at Wokingham Medical Centre?

There is on street parking on Rose Street as well as local pay and display car parks should you need to drive.

The surgery is also in walking distance from the town centre and has good bus routes as well as the train station not far away. Please be aware that there is only parking for disabled patients at Wokingham Medical Centre, there is no general patient parking.

Where can I park at the Burma Hills site?

There is a large car park that is available for patients to use.

Will my prescription still go to my nominated pharmacy?

We have been informed by our IT provider that nominations will be erased during the merger and that our administrators will have to re-nominate pharmacies. This will take us a few days to process, but once this is done all nominated pharmacies should stay the same.

Will I still be able to access my records online?

Yes, you will. However, we have been advised by our IT provider that that some patients will need a reset on the Patient Access system and on the NHS App. We encourage patients to download and use the NHS App as this we have been advised that the NHS App reset is easier for patients than the Patient Access reset.

Which different options will I now have other than seeing a GP?

At the practice we have a large group of clinicians including: GPs, Nurses, Advanced Nurse Practitioners, HCAs, Phlebotomists, Physician Associates, First Contact Physiotherapists, Clinical Pharmacists, Social Prescribers, Mental Health Wellbeing workers and Health Coaches.

Will Burma Hills Surgery still be open for appointments?

Yes, we intend to provide a GP clinic at the Ashridge Road site every weekday morning for all patients to book into as well as the appointments at Wokingham Medical Centre. We expect that afternoon appointments will be provided by other clinicians (see above) and we intend to run more of the Group Sessions that have proved very popular.

Can I still see a doctor at the Ashridge Road site?

Yes, see previous answer.

Will the practice catchment area change?

No, as the current practices’ catchment areas will simply be amalgamated.

Do I need to call a new telephone number?

The phone system should allow for both surgery numbers to be used however it will be good to have the main site number which is 0118 9784566.

Do I need to use a new website for eConsult?

There will be one surgery website www.wokinghammedicalcentre.co.uk and the eConsults can be accessed in the same way via this website.

Can I still use Patient Access?

Yes, you can, but please see answer above the need for a reset after the IT merger.

Can I still use my GOQii app to access my health and wellbeing coach?

Yes, the GOQii app is unaffected by the IT merger.

Can I still use Push doctor?

Yes, Push doctor appointments will still be available.

I am a Burma Hills Surgery patient: do I have to go to Wokingham Medical Centre for all my appointments?

No, there will be appointments available at the Ashridge Road site allowing all patients choice of where they would like to book. The majority of appointments will be held at the Wokingham Medical Centre site.

Do I need to complete paperwork to register at Wokingham Medical Centre?

No, this process of merger will amalgamate the clinical records from Burma Hills Surgery into Wokingham Medical Centre. So, there is no need for you to complete extra paperwork, we will do the work for you.

As you know patients have a right to choose which surgery they register with as long as they are with that practice’s catchment area. The NHS website helps patients to find GP surgeries within their catchment areas.

Why is this happening as I thought Burma Hills Surgery was staying as its own surgery?

As you will have seen and maybe experienced yourselves, the pressure on General Practice has increased and since 2019, we have relocated two senior GPs to Burma Hills Surgery. Both have now retired and it has proved impossible to recruit a GP to take on Burma Hills Surgery single-handedly. So rather than close the surgery, a merger provides the most practical solution for patients and the practice.

I am a Burma Hills patient and I’ve already had consultations at Wokingham Medical Centre. What will I notice after this merger?

That’s quite right, many Burma Hills Surgery patients are accustomed to having appointments at Wokingham Medical Centre, eg for the evening patient education sessions. After the merger, it will be easier for us to offer you consultations at both sites and for you to access our wide range of allied healthcare professionals.

I am a Wokingham Medical Centre patient and I’ve already had consultations at Burma Hills Surgery. What will I notice after this merger?

That’s quite right, many Wokingham Medical Centre patients are accustomed to having appointments at Burma Hills Surgery, eg to see GPs. After the merger, it will be easier for us to offer you consultations at both sites.