Agenda item

Report attached. Cathy Fines Clinical Director, NHS Bury CCG to report at the meeting.

Cathy Fines Chair of Bury CCG introduced herself and an update on Primary Care and General Practice waiting times.

Cathy Fines provided an overview of the General Practice Leadership Collaborative; the purpose is to be the body through which practices in the borough are represented via their membership of Primary Care Networks, Bury GP Federation and the Local Medical Committee (LMC).

Key issues raised by Cathy Fines, Clinical Director, NHS Bury CCG were:

• There is a workforce crisis regarding GP’s due to an ageing workforce

• Contacts in General Practice’s are now above what has been previously received

• Issues following unmet need following 2 years of working differently through the pandemic

The Committee sought assurances on face-to-face appointments. In response Cathy Fines advised the plan for a digital offer was planned before the Pandemic as an additional offer.

Whilst some members of the public want a face-to-face appointment it my be clinically determined that this is not required.

Councillors raised concerns that complaints they receive as elected members regarding General Practices have significantly increased during the pandemic. In response Cathy Fines advised members that General Practice working practices have changed, and people where possible are encouraged to wait outside until their appointment time. The Committee were informed that Practices are unlikely to ever go back to a full waiting area as from an infection control point of view it is counterproductive. A Committee Member highlighted that most constituents raising the concerns are elderly and not computer literate as Bury has a higher ageing population the concerns were worrying.

Concerns were raised around the operation of the ‘ask my GP’ service and the implications it has from shift workers or those who cannot access the service during its short opening hour. Even with enhanced services and online options there is a worry from members that people with health inequalities may not get access to the GP. In response Cathy Fines stated she accepted there is still problems with resources, and it is a national problem. Half of the current GP’s could retire over the coming years and work is taking place to retain and recruit additional capacity. In response to the query about the ‘ask my GP’ system Cathy fines informed the Committee that the service gives an option of clinically triaging individuals. Although people may not want to wait for a response their request will have been triaged and although it is uncomfortable knowing people may wait it is safer as we know who these people are. Cathy also assured the Committee that if individuals do not have access to the online service they can call and have a receptionist put through their request. The Committee were informed that current activity in primary care is higher than we can currently meet and to solve this the Primary Health Care Team needs to be bigger than GP’s only. First contact may change from GP’s to Advanced Nurse Practitioners or Mental Health Practitioner for example.

A Committee Member questioned if practices approaches to services and the digital offer could be standardised across the Borough and how the promotion of alternative support via ‘Care at the Chemist’ and holistic practitioners could be improved. In response Cathy Fines stated this work will take a long time to embed but neighbourhood working should help with this, especially on how to improve digital offers.

It was agreed:

1.          The report be noted

2.          Dr Cathy Fines, Chair of Bury CCG be thanked for the report.