Local GP out of hours set for further shake-up

The Health and Social Care Board (HSCB) boss said the health service may need to identify opportunities to align these services with other health care services so that they can be maximised and made efficient.

Two years ago horror was expressed by local representatives at plans to cut the amount of doctors attached to the GP Out of Hours service in Londonderry and across the North West.

A memo sent to Western Urgent Care Staff (WUC) on March 3, 2010, revealed that covers for the ‘Redeye’ period, from 12 midnight to 8.30am each morning, was to consist of just three doctors for the whole Western area.

The memo stated: “With effect from July 1 (2010), WUC will operate with three GPs covering our area, instead of our current level of five GPs ie, one for each base.

“As a result of this new arrangement, the three GPs and associated staff will provide cover for the whole of the Western Area, out of three bases ie, Altnagelvin, Tyrone County Hospital and Erne Hospital.”

Now Mr Compton wants to ‘simplify, evolve and develop’ the service further in line with the ‘Transforming Your Care’ health reform document’s expressed agenda of proving the ‘right care, at the right time and in the right place.

Last week the HSCB launched a public consultation on the Strategic Framework for GP Out-of-Hours Services.

The purpose of the Framework is to facilitate development of the future provision of GP Out-of-Hours services across Northern Ireland.

The Framework focuses on how access to GP Out-of Hours services can be simplified and where opportunities to align these services with other health care services can be maximised and made efficient whilst also ensuring that safe and effective GP Out-of-Hours Services are available to all across our population.

Mr Compton said: “The Health and Social Care Board is responsible for commissioning GP Out-of-Hours for Northern Ireland.

“These services are a vital component of the health and social care system. As a first point of contact for the public they provide urgent advice, care and treatment at times when GP surgeries are closed.

“To date, significant improvements have been implemented in relation to processes, commissioning and quality standards for service delivery.

“The consultation on the Strategic Framework complements and enhances the work already completed and provides further opportunities to improve services. “It also reflects the need for GP Out-of-Hours to evolve and develop in order to accommodate the changing health care system in Northern Ireland.”

The recently published ‘Transforming Your Care’ report proposes changes to the way in which health services are delivered in local communities.

The need to provide the right care in the right place at the right time is a key principle of this change and the development of GP Out-of-Hours services across Northern Ireland will be an essential component.

This public consultation will enable health and social care staff, the public and key stakeholders to contribute their views to the future design and configuration of GP Out-of-Hours Services.

The consultation period will run for 13 weeks from Monday 25 June until Friday, September 28, 2012, and consultation documentation can be accessed in the Consultations section of the www.hscboard.hscni.net website.

Alternatively the documentation can be requested by email at [email protected] or by telephone on 028 9055 3721 or textphone on 18001 028 9055 3721.