Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Programme to better understand social enterprise in health and social care. The
early indicators for success and outlined the challenges in delivering health and
Case Study
Willow Bank Partnership Community Interest
Company (Willow Bank CIC)
Willow Bank CIC is a social enterprise in Stoke-on-
Trent, led by an integrated team drawn from the
health, social care and third sectors. The company’s
first surgery, Willow Bank Surgery, opened in Meir
in September 2009 and will be followed by surgeries
in Hanley and Middleport. The surgeries will offer
patients primary care services at more convenient
times as GPs will be available from 8am to 8pm on
weekdays as well as on Saturday mornings.
All three facilities are being opened because of a GP
shortage in the city. Each GP in Stoke-on-Trent currently
has approximately 200 more patients on their list than the
national average.
The new practices will offer first class primary care
services as well as taking the pressure off existing
surgeries and allowing GPs to spend more time with their
patients. The company offers general medical services
and one stop care, with a particular focus on vulnerable
groups including lone-parent families, local homeless
people and BME communities.
Being a community interest company allows Willow Bank
to develop non-clinical services that patients would not
otherwise have access to, such as services for the local
homeless and support and counselling for those with drug
and alcohol problems.