GPs to take lead in care shake-up
Health officials are planning to make it quicker and easier for patients needing urgent medical care to see a GP.
Doctors could be asked to open for longer in the morning, or evening and on Saturday mornings in a shake-up of urgent care services proposed by NHS Leicestershire County and Rutland.
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Betty Newton
GP-led walk-in centres in Loughborough, Oadby and at Leicester Royal Infirmary would also provide out-of-hours care.
Five minor injury units at community hospitals would close.
The trust is hoping the move will put an end to hundreds of people turning up unnecessarily at Leicester Royal Infirmary's accident and emergency department.
The urgent care service would be for patients who have a serious but not life-threatening condition, such as a child with a worsening fever or a confused elderly person who has fallen over.
Rowena Langtry, associate director of unscheduled care at NHS Leicestershire County and Rutland, said: "There is a great deal of confusion with patients about what they should do about urgent care.
"At the moment, they go where they feel they will be seen and will get the right care."
She told members of Leicestershire County Council's health scrutiny committee yesterday that a recent survey found 54% of people wanted their GP surgery to open longer and particularly on a Saturday morning.
She said: "We would like urgent care services to be more focused, with the GP, where possible, as first port of call.
"With improved access in GP services ,the minor injury services in the community hospitals would duplicate what they could offer."
Councillor Betty Newton, Labour member for Loughborough North, said: "At the moment, it is very difficult to get through to your GP, so people end up going to A and E.
"These plans will be about changing people's habits."
Dr Mark Findlay, secretary of the local medical committee, which represents doctors in Leicestershire, said: "There is no doubt urgent care needs reforming but at the moment plans appear jumbled.
"If people need to see a doctor we need to make it easier to do this and make our extended hours as flexible as possible.
"If patients know they can be seen, they often don't feel they need to come because there is a safety net."
Patients will have a chance to comment on plans during a 12-week consultation – including 10 public meetings – after the General Election, likely to be in May.
2 Comments
by le8man, Leics
Tuesday, March 09 2010, 1:06PM
“Yet more empty words from the Labour Party and their lackies”
by Cllr Phil KIng, Kibworth, Leics
Tuesday, March 09 2010, 11:59AM
“Talk about fast-spin, the flying tops have started going round early on this one.
Firstly lets have some facts:- Fact until 2002, every patient had 24/7 cover from their GP. It was the botched GP contract renegotiations handled by Gordon Brown and his Labour Government who allowed 95% of GPs to withdraw from the the exisiting Saturday and out of hourscover . Wasn't perfect but it worked. Oh and by the way the wage bill increased for GPs' by £2 BILLION per annum.
Since then the various county health bodies have on our behalf spent a small fortune of OUR money on providing a second rate out of hours service, with nil Saturday morning GP surgeries ( until recently).
Small wonder that citizens have felt a "great deal confusion" about where to go etc.
Hardly surprising that they have out of frustration made greater use of the LRI accident and emergency facility. Result A&E clogged up with non-urgent cases.
Now how do you solve a problem like this, which was all of the governments own making?
Do you close all the county based minor injuiries clinics, so that if you live in Coalville, Melton, Oakham, Lutterworth, Market Harborough or one of the thousand or so small communities across Leics and Rutland, that you'll now be faced with at least a 30mile or more round trip with a sick child or relative to get out of hours treatment?
No, what people will do is make more use of amubulance services, calling 999, and using the A&E service at the LRI. They will continue to go where they feel they will be seen and will get the right care.
There is of course the second issue of how will for example hung over young people or injuired sports people, or sick children, actually reach these proposed centres if they can't drive and public transport is limited, as it is in much of the county especially at weekends and the evenings?
In my view this is a receipe for more confusion, more costs, but lower quality and availability of care, and it should be consined to the trash bin on the computer of it's author(s)
Improved GP coverage has previously been promised, but yet to be fully delivered. Yes people do want their GP to be open longer and on Saturdays' that is so they don't have to take time off work to see their doctor!
Cllr Newton talks about changing people's habits, it's not a question of that, you would need to fundementally change the geography and population centres of the county. Fortunally this is outside the control of even Mr Brown and his failing government.
What I urge the readers of the Leicester Mercury to do is to protest, to stand up for what they want and not to say it won't make any difference.
It will if we all do.
Cllr King
Kibworth Ward
Harborough District Council”