It was a great privilege to have Jeremy Hughes, the Chief Executive of the Alzheimer's Society visit The Willows Dementia Hub to showcase our facilities. The Alzheimer's Society team have been involved from the very start so it was wonderful to have them back with our unique service up and running.  Jeremy Hughes, Chief Executive of the Alzheimer's Society said:  "Many have preconceived ideas about dementia care and  managers sometimes don’t connect as well as they might with local people with.....Read More

What is the difference between Alzheimer’s and Dementia? Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, what’s the difference? Dealing with a diagnosis can be scary at first, but when you’re faced with it, there are some distinct differences to be aware of. Firstly, dementia is not a disease. It’s an umbrella term for the symptoms and changes to the brain, with Alzheimer’s as a sub-type.  irreversible degeneration (process of decline) of the brain with memory loss and failing cognitive fun.....Read More

Have you got plans for Mother's Day? Why not treat Mum to a wonderful afternoon tea in the Woodlands café at the Willows. Dementia, parent and child friendly, we would love for you to join us. The Woodlands café at The Willows Dementia Hub is part of our specialist centre to provide high-quality support and care for people living with dementia in Heywood, Middleton, and Rochdale, and their families. Did you know? The origins of afternoon tea can be traced back to 1840, when Anna Maria, the Seve.....Read More

Understanding Dementia can feel a little overwhelming. Is it a disease? What are the symptoms? How does it progress? This article will breakdown what is Dementia, what key signs to look out for and what the different stages can be.  Dementia is not a condition in its own right. It is the term that refers to a number of symptoms and diseases that affect memory and certain brain functions, which includes a Alzheimer’s disease (the most common form of dementia). You can read more on the difference between Alz.....Read More

We are delighted to announce that our contracts for the Community Paediatric and Domiciliary phlebotomy services have been extended for another year. These services are now set to run up to the end of March 2020.This is great news for the borough as we continue to support the patients and clinicians. The service plays a vital role in helping patients avoid unnecessary hospital visits for diagnostics that can be safely delivered in the community and closer to home.  

The Willows GP Care Services are now the provider of a new Dementia Hub for Rochdale and surrounding areas. The Willows was previously the Springhill Resource Centre which is currently being refurbished to become a 'living well with dementia' hub. The Hub has strong connections with the community, offering opportunities to socialise, build networks and access to high quality coordinated services to support people with dementia and their families. The Willows café is now open to the public, feeding our.....Read More

We are proud to announce the launch of a new Community based Gynaecology Clinic which operates from different sites around the borough. This is great news for patients as it may avoid a trip to hospital for diagnostic and minor treatment procedures which can easily be done in a local health centre. Find out more about our Community Gynaecology Clinic in our 'services' section above. The service will be run by Dr Uma Marthi who has extensive knowledge and experience in gynaeco.....Read More

A big Congratulations to our Board Member, Dr Zalan Alam who received a certificate of recognition for 2018's Heywood, Middleton & Rochdale STAR (Special Thanks And Recognition) awards!  Another Congratulations to Dr Haithem Mahdi who has been nominated in the Doctor of the year category for the annual staff awards 2018. Dr Mahdi has been shortlisted after they received over 600 nominations! The awards ceremony will be held on the 16th November - we wish Dr Mahdi an.....Read More

Refurbishment work at The Village Medical Centre in Littleborough is due to begin the week commencing 15th January 2018. We are excited for the work to begin and to improve services for all patients.  The overall objective of the work is to support and enable the transformation of the Village Medical Centre. The work will enable the practice to provide consistent, high quality, modern primary care services to all its patients. It will also work in cohesion with the redesign of health and social care services .....Read More

As we move into 2018 we welcome Dr Saj Azfar as the new Chairman for GP Care:   I am proud to have been elected to succeed Dr Hussain as Chairman of GP Care Services Ltd and would like to formally thank him for his dedication and loyalty to the company and his mentorship of myself throughout my time on the board of directors. We all look forward to working with him as a board member in the future. GP Care has undergone a rapid phase of growth recently; restructured its board and made large investments in .....Read More

We would like to thank the Financial Times  for their piece and focus on Dr Zalan Alam, and The Village Medical Centre  as "a model" for the NHS. "In a medical profession besieged by ever-increasing workloads, staff shortages and burnout, Dr Zalan Alam embodies the kind of quiet dedication to patient welfare that forms the bedrock of Britain’s National Health Service. But it is a sign of the gravity of the situation that even this can-do GP — who has transformed a once failin.....Read More

                                                                                               Following an inspection on 29th September 2017 The Village Medical Centre in Littleborough is now rated as Good by the healthcare watchdog the Care Quality Commission (CQC). The practice ha.....Read More

...with GP Care Services C.O. Gail Whitehead. Find out who inspired her, how GPC started and the first single she ever bought.   First single you ever bought? G: Two Little Boys by Rolf Harris.   When you were in primary school what did you want to be ‘when you grew up’ G: An air hostess. I thought it looked really glamorous.   First pet? G: A hamster. Though it's safe to say it did not survive.   If you were a drink, what would you be and why? G: Definitely Pro.....Read More

We have acquired The Village Medical Centre in Littleborough. As a provider of services for the Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale Clinical Commissioning Group we bought The Village Medical Centre in Littleborough.   Bury-based law firm Clough & Willis brokered the deal, which was for an undisclosed sum. Its partner David Leviten handled the commercial property aspects of the deal while Guy Lachlan - associate corporate commercial solicitor at the firm – provided company and commercial law advice. Negotiat.....Read More

The Village Medical Practice in Littleborough has been taken out of special measures after being recognised as making significant improvements to the quality of care by the healthcare watchdog the Care Quality Commission (CQC).   The practice was found to have good facilities and was equipped to treat patients and meet their needs. The healthcare watchdog previously inspected the practice in September 2016 and had found serious concerns and as a result the practice was rated as inadequate and placed in special .....Read More

What’s the biggest concern for the public when they, or their relatives, go into hospital care? Is it being there too long, or not long enough? That they will have to wait for a bed, or will be sent home with no aftercare? This is where the new Wolstenholme Intermediate Care Unit steps in. Launched in November 2015 the unit works as an integrated one stop shop for the medical needs of the community. It is part of the Rochdale Infirmary as a collaboration between GP Care Services and the CCG, working to provide en.....Read More