A single partnership is to be responsible for 370,000 people in the Midlands, it has been revealed.

The new deal will make the Our Health Partnership the biggest partnership in England, the Health Service Journal reported.

The partnership is currently responsible for patients in Birmingham and Solihull – but will now take over nine practices in Shropshire, it was reported.

This will mean it has 200 GP partners in 42 practices.

Our Health Partnership says that “GPs joining together this way will ensure that your local surgery thrives and that all our patients benefit for many years to come.”

Its chair Dr Vish Ratnasuriya told the journal: “Our organisation is built on strong principles of partner based general practice and we look forward to welcoming colleagues from Shropshire who share our ideals.

“I have no doubt we will learn much from each other as we work together to continue to develop our partnership.”

Drs Jennie Bailey and Alex Chamberlain, from the Shropshire practices, added: “We very much support the ethos of mutual support and working together at scale while preserving the ability of local partners to run their practice in the way that best serves the needs of their local community, and we are looking forward to being part of Our Health Partnership in the coming months.”