Fareham same day access |
Same-day access: Introduction
Did you know that, most Mondays, the 10 GP practices across Fareham typically receive around 900 phone calls for a 'same-day' appointment? GP practices need to make sure they keep enough appointments for patients that need to be seen that day, as well as routine appointments. It can be difficult to get the balance right.
We know that local people can find it difficult to get routine appointments and, from recent survey results, that they are happy to travel to see a different GP or an experienced nurse.
In light of this, four of the local GP practices (Highlands Practice, Jubilee Surgery, Stubbington Medical Practice and Whiteley Surgery) are setting up a same-day appointment service, similar to the one in Gosport. The aim of the service is to ensure everyone is offered the support they need, when they need it, whether on the same day or for planned routine appointments at their own surgery. If the service is successful other local practices will be able to join.
The service would be based in Fareham Community Hospital, with patients being offered a face to face appointment there if they needed one. The service would be run by GPs, nurses and staff from the four practices.
How would the service run?
· Patients would phone their GP practice as normal and, if they asked for a same-day appointment, would be asked if their details could be shared with the service
· Patients would be called back by the service in order of clinical priority, with the nurse or GP having a detailed conversation with them
· The patient may be given advice on how to take care of themselves, arrangements made for medication to be available at a pharmacy, or an appointment offered.
We know there are some patients who will not be able to travel to the hospital and arrangements would be made for them to be seen at their own GP practice.
We would welcome your views on the service which will be taken into consideration as it is developed.
We know that local people can find it difficult to get routine appointments and, from recent survey results, that they are happy to travel to see a different GP or an experienced nurse.
In light of this, four of the local GP practices (Highlands Practice, Jubilee Surgery, Stubbington Medical Practice and Whiteley Surgery) are setting up a same-day appointment service, similar to the one in Gosport. The aim of the service is to ensure everyone is offered the support they need, when they need it, whether on the same day or for planned routine appointments at their own surgery. If the service is successful other local practices will be able to join.
The service would be based in Fareham Community Hospital, with patients being offered a face to face appointment there if they needed one. The service would be run by GPs, nurses and staff from the four practices.
How would the service run?
· Patients would phone their GP practice as normal and, if they asked for a same-day appointment, would be asked if their details could be shared with the service
· Patients would be called back by the service in order of clinical priority, with the nurse or GP having a detailed conversation with them
· The patient may be given advice on how to take care of themselves, arrangements made for medication to be available at a pharmacy, or an appointment offered.
We know there are some patients who will not be able to travel to the hospital and arrangements would be made for them to be seen at their own GP practice.
We would welcome your views on the service which will be taken into consideration as it is developed.