Agenda item

Martin Clayton, Chief Officer, GP Federation and Marie Clayton, Deputy Director of Primary Care, Bury CCG will report at the meeting.  Presentation attached.

Martin Clayton, Chief Officer GP Federation Marie Clayton, Deputy Director of Primary Care Bury CCG attended the meeting to provide members with an update on the GP extended working hours service (EWH).

The GP Federation Chief Officer provided an overview of the EWH service:

•      The service is provided across 3 site:

–     Radcliffe Primary Care Centre

–     Moorgate Primary Care Centre

–     Prestwich Health Centre

•      Hours of services are:

–     6:30pm – 8.00pm weekdays

–     8.00am – 6.00pm on weekend and bank holidays

•      Services include availability of GPs and Primary Care Nurses

•      The service provides approximately 360 appointments per week

Additional services are provided by nursing staff, services provided have included, COPD and asthma reviews, ECGs and diabetic reviews. Appointments are split with 78% of patients seen by a GP and 22% by a nurse.

The Deputy Director of Primary Care reported that during 2019/20 a national review of the Urgent Primary Care offer is being undertake – this will include: Out of Hours, Extended Working House and Urgent Care Treatment Centre.

The Chief Officer reported that digital availability to General Practice is a key development area of the next two years with:

–     Extended online booking

–     Access to the full patient record online with patient write available

–     Ordering repeat prescriptions online everywhere

–     Online consultation

Those present were invited to ask questions and the following issues were raised.

Responding to a Member’s question the GP Federation’s Chief Officer reported that the Federation is a limited company owned by the GPs in Bury, they are commissioned by the CCG to deliver the extended hours service. 

In response to a Member’s question, it is hoped that the development and expansion of the digital offer will take place in the next 18 months.  The Chief Officer confirmed that GPs working within the extended hour’s service have access to the patient’s full medical record.   

Members discussed problems with accessing GP appointments and a lack of consistency across the Borough.  The Deputy Director of Primary Care reported that within the next 12 months it is hoped that all GP surgeries will have an online patient facility.  Each practice is different and the CCG is working with GP surgeries to increase access and improve consistency across the Borough.

Responding to a Member’s question the Chief Officer reported that the extended hours service was not established to deflect activity away from A&E but to increase the numbers of available GP appointments.  However evaluation undertaken by the GP Federation concluded that following the first two years of operation there was a 4% deflection rate from A&E. 

The Chief Officer reported that feedback from patients is undertaken and recent feedback reported a 88% positivity rating for the service which is similar to that reported in GP surgeries.

It was agreed:

The Chief Officer of the GP Federation and the Deputy Director of Primary Care Bury CCG be invited to attend a future meeting to update on the proposed contract changes for General Practice.