Norfolk Primary Care (NPC) is pleased to share an important update that marks a positive step
forward for local healthcare services in Gorleston, Norfolk. From 22 December
2025, Millwood will formally join NPC, reinforcing the practice’s long-term sustainability and its ability to continue delivering high-quality, patient-centred care to the community.
Earlier this year, the partners at Millwood Practice undertook a period of reflection and
consideration regarding the future of the practice and the long-term sustainability of their GMS contract. As part of this process, they explored a range of options and confirmed their wish to explore the potential novation of the contract to NPC.
Over the following months, the Millwood partners and NPC worked closely together through a series of constructive and detailed discussions to explore this option fully, ensuring that any proposed approach would support the needs of the practice, its patients, and the wider local health system. Following this period of engagement, the partners formally asked NPC to proceed with the novation of the GMS contract.
The proposal was subsequently progressed through all required legal, contractual, and governance
processes and received approval through NHS Norfolk and Waveney Integrated Care
Board. The successful completion of this process reflects a shared commitment between Millwood Practice, NPC, and the ICB to strengthen the ongoing resilience and stability of the practice and to reaffirm its valued role within the local health system.
Across England, general practice continues to face significant pressure, from rising patient demand and financial constraints to workforce challenges. Ensuring that practices have the stability and support they need to thrive has never been more important for protecting patient access to care.
Commenting on this, a GP Partner at Millwood Partnership said:
“General practice has changed beyond all recognition in recent years. We are now a practice with 20,000 patients and have been faced with many challenges, as have most people
in primary care.
We feel that in a future under the NPC umbrella it would provide us with access to specialist
expertise that we would not be able to access or afford so easily as a smaller organisation. This will enable us to retain some independence as a practice, but underpinned by stronger processes and leadership on an organisational level. On a personal level it will allow the GPs to get back to being
clinicians rather than feeling like medicine is something that we fit in around the running of the practice”.
NPC has been providing management support to the practice for many months now, following an initial request from the team, and this next step builds on that established partnership. Our focus is to maintain continuity for patients while increasing the level of support available to clinical and non-clinical staff.
This partnership is about enhancing what already works well. The practice remains at the heart of the community, with patients continuing to see the same familiar faces. What changes is the depth of operational, leadership and shared expertise offered through the CIC network, helping free up time and capacity so clinicians and teams can focus on what they do best: caring for patients.
Our priority remains clear: to strengthen patient care while supporting the primary care workforce. NPC is committed to working collaboratively with NHS partners, the wider local health system and community stakeholders to ensure this transition provides lasting benefits for patients, staff and the community it serves.
Commenting on the news NPC’s Chief Executive Officer, James Leeming said:
“As the healthcare landscape evolves, it is more important than ever to ensure that General Practice remains at the heart of our communities. The transition of a GMS contract into a Community Interest Company (CIC) represents a unique opportunity to strengthen local healthcare services while preserving the integrity and independence of General Practice. Unlike private healthcare providers entering the patch, this CIC is owned by practices themselves,
ensuring that decisions are made with the interests of patients, clinicians, and the wider Norfolk & Waveney health system at the forefront.
I am very positive about the future of Millwood Surgery and am thrilled that the remaining Partners are staying within the surgery as salaried Doctors that can now spend more of their time focusing on healthcare delivery and leadership than managing the ever growing complexity of ‘running the practice’.
Importantly, this transition is about continuity and shared ownership rather than disruption. Patients will continue to receive the high-quality care they trust, while the practice benefits from a structure that fosters cooperation, reduces administrative burden, and allows for shared efficiencies. By working together within a locally led and owned, non-profit organisation, we can protect the values of General Practice, ensuring it remains responsive to the needs of the communities we serve. This is not about an external provider stepping in – it is about us, as local clinicians and healthcare leaders, shaping the future of our own system.”
Comments from our Board Chair, Dr Pete Lawson added:
“By coming together under a shared, locally owned model, we are ensuring that decisions about patient care remain in the hands of those who know our communities best – our GPs and healthcare professionals. This is an opportunity to build resilience, invest in services, and create a sustainable future for primary care, free from external commercial interests. Our focus is, and always will be, on delivering high-quality, patient-centred care while protecting the independence of General Practice for the long term. We look forward to working collaboratively with all stakeholders to make this a success.”