GPs have marked the completion of an historic merger by vowing to keep patients at the heart of everything they do.

The new Wyvern Health Partnership is made up of Hawthorn Medical Centre, Lawn Medical Centre, Old Town Surgery, Priory Road Medical Centre and Merchiston Surgery.

Doctors at the practices have reassured patients that the move would not lead to unnecessary change.

Dr Sue Adams, clinical director and managing partner at Merchiston Surgery in Highworth Road, said: “This is not about streamlining or working with third-party companies that have no knowledge of our area or our people.

“This merger is about bringing together the knowledge, expertise and proven leadership and using that wealth of resource to benefit 50,000 local people.

“None of the clinicians want to lose the close links they have with their patients, so people will still be seen by familiar faces, but the merger now allows us to look at offering more than we could before, such as specialist, jointly-run clinics.”

Chief operating officer Mark Hopkins said: “Working together as a team of five practices enabled us to adapt in a short space of time.

“New initiatives, such as home visits, drive-thru appointments and separate clinics for Covid and non-Covid patients, were only made possible because we had multiple sites at our disposal and a team of highly-skilled staff willing and able to step up to the challenge.

“We know that coronavirus will be around for some time, but we’re now thinking about how we can maintain the momentum of the last 12 weeks to improve other areas of healthcare.”