NHS Property Services has acquired a GP practice building in the village of Kirkoswald, Cumbria, making sure it is still available for the local community.

The building's former GP, who also owned the building, retired and its future was uncertain.

Responding to a request from Cumbria ICB, NHS Property Services’ (NHSPS) investment management team was able to acquire the property to secure its future within the healthcare estate.
 

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.”

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.”