Primary Care In South Tyneside

South Tyneside LEB, 24 September 2015

Helen Ruffell, Operations Manager, South Tyneside CCG

Overview of Primary Care in South Tyneside • 154,000 patients (approx)• 27 GP practices – ranging in size• 39 Community Pharmacies• Think Pharmacy First – delivered by all 39

pharmacies• Urgent Care Hub at ST hospital (Oct)• In general access to primary care services

is good

GP access in South Tyneside

• GP’s are Independent Contractors;– Have the freedom to operate their own

appointment system.– Must have appropriate arrangements in place

to meet the needs of their patients.– Patients should be able to access services

during core hours in the case of an emergency.

General Practice Patient Survey (GPPS)• The GPPS is the Nationally accepted benchmark for access.• Latest South Tyneside results July 14 – March 2015.

Local Survey Work (via Healthwatch)

• 725 responses and focused on satisfaction levels around the following key areas:

Communication (telephone, online and with frontline staff in practices) Surgery provision (including opening times, privacy, healthware equipment and

customer service) Appointment availability, waiting times and convenience Referrals to and from the surgery for urgent care Out of hours services Involvement in decisions about services and healthcare

How likely patients would be to recommend their GP practice

Key Facts from the Healthwatch survey work (interviews conducted Nov & Dec ‘14)

Ease of contacting GP practice by telephone

82% of respondents were fairly or very satisfied

Receptionist service at GP practice

85% of respondents were fairly or very satisfied

Ease of contacting GP practice by telephone

82% of respondents were fairly or very satisfied

How often patients can get an appointment or speak to their GP of choice

38% sometimes or almost never

How far appointments can be booked ahead

2 – 4 weeks 49%, don’t know 51%

Length of wait for an urgent GP appointment

less than 48 hours 72%

Length of wait for a non urgent GP appointment

less than one week 60%, 2-4 weeks 29%

Length of wait once at the practice to be seen

less than 15 minutes 73%

If the patient was unable to be seen at the practice, where did the practice direct them to go instead

- Community Pharmacy 24%- Walk in Centre 74%- Other clinic, eg family planning 3%- A&E 11%

Satisfaction with out of hours GP services

35% satisfied, 10% not satisfied (remainder have not used)

Satisfaction with support to manage long term conditions

45% satisfied, 52% dissatisfied

What this tells us about access:• Access to GP services is in general good, timely

and responsive. Better than the national and north east average

• We need to carefully consider how to deliver wider access to primary care services

• We need to focus on supporting patients with long term conditions

• Patients value non bookable style appointments

• Delivery of minor ailments consultations from all 39 community pharmacies

• Wide range of conditions and drugs available• If you don’t pay for prescriptions, you may be

able to get free over the counter medicines• Aim to provide better access and save the need

for GP appointments

Posters and leaflets

Scheme impact

• Since April 1st 2015, over 3000 minor ailment consultations have taken place

• Top reasons for using so far:-• Fever• Teething• Head Lice• Chickenpox• Cough• Skin Reaction

Views from you – 7 day access• There are not enough GPs or nurses for every

GP practice to open up 7 days a week. • More practical and affordable solutions will need

to be considered such as one practice/location offering evening and weekend services on behalf of a group of local practices

• Do patients feel more evening and weekend GP services are important and how can they be delivered within the scope of the resources we have?

Communication• How do GP practices communicate with

patients – about their long term condition – in general about services at the practice (how

to book appointments on line, or new services starting etc)

– About any care you may have had in the hospital?

• What works well and not so well? Any ideas to make communication better?

When you need to see someone urgently• New ‘Urgent Care Hub’ at South Tyneside

hospital opening on 1st October – ‘one front door’ principle

• All GP practices offer urgent appointments• All community pharmacies offer consultations

and advice on a walk in basis• Is there anything your GP practice could do

better to meet your urgent healthcare needs?

Questions

1. Do patients feel more evening and weekend GP services are important and how can they be delivered within the scope of the resources we have?

2. What works well and not so well in the way your GP practice communicates with you? Any ideas to make communication better?

3. Is there anything your GP practice could do better to meet your urgent healthcare needs?