THE South Durham Health Community Interest Company (SDH CIC) has announced a significant surplus in its annual revenue, which will now be ploughed back into its services to provide better health care for its patients.

A federation of 23 GP practices across Easington and Sedgefield, SDH CIC cares for approximately 170,000 patients across the south of County Durham, working with its members and other care providers to deliver better services closer to the point of need in the local community.

Over the past 12 months, the federation has generated over £500,000 in surplus monies, which is now being reinvested back into the company to continue its pioneering work.

Dr Hugo Minney, company secretary at SDH CIC, said: “We’re delighted with the performance of all member practices of the federation.

"Because of their hard work and commitment to our aims, we can use the surplus we have created to further improve health and care services.

“We felt it was only right to reinvest this money back into the people who deliver these services, so we can continue to provide the best healthcare to our patients at a place, time and in a manner that makes sense – it’s about joining up services to provide a continuity of care that improves peoples’ health.”

Over the coming months, SDH CIC plans to use the surplus monies created to give more access to healthcare through extra GP sessions in care homes and the introduction of practice pharmacists who can alleviate the GP recruitment pressures by doing including medication reviews and post-hospital discharge poly-pharmacy.

For more information about South Durham Health CIC, visit southdurhamhealth.co.uk