Issue - meetings

Issue - meetings

Update on GP Extended Hours

Meeting: 26/11/2018 - SOCIAL CARE, HEALTH & HOUSING OVERVIEW & SCRUTINY COMMITTEE (Item 123)

123 Extended Access to GP Services pdf icon PDF 457 KB

 

Members will receive an update on extended access to primary care services in Central Bedfordshire.

 

Minutes:

The Strategy and Planning Manager from Bedfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group (BCCG) provided an update on the implementation of extended access to primary care services required by NHS England.  Residents were able to book appointments between 6.30-8pm at one of the four locality bases of which 83.5% were taken up and around 10% did not attend (DNA).

 

Further developments would include the ability to

book extended access appointments via the 111 service.

 

In light of the information provided, a Member queried if the service would be able to cope with demand once the service had been widely publicised and whether DNA’s were classified.  In response The Strategy and Planning Manager advised that a rise in demand was expected.  Currently DNA’s were not classified and investigation into non-attendance would form part of a wider review of the service.

 

In response to a question regarding funding, the service had not received its full funding allocation. Some funds had been held back in a contingency fund to help with the development of IT equipment, which enabled GP to look at any patient record in the locality, and overall service costs.

 

RECOMMENDED that:-

1.    Committee welcomes the extended access to primary care services but expresses concern that some 1-% of patients are failing to attend their appointment.

2.    Expects Practices to take action to reduce the number of DNA.

3.    Expects the funding available to be used directly for the extended services and monies held back by the CCG to be directly supporting the extended care services and to release to the surgeries monies not otherwise used by the CCG.