Warning over surgery proposals

Barnard Castle Surgery is being considered

A SHAKE-UP in health services which will see a GP practice opening longer and taking on urgent care patients has been described as “exciting” – but there are fears that only a few people may use it.
The change will create “GP Hubs” to provide extended services from 6pm to 8pm on weekdays, as well as partial weekend provision on Saturdays and Sundays.
Barnard Castle GP Surgery is being considered as one of the hubs.
The changes are planned come into effect on April 1.
Teesdale Action Partnership health representative Sarah Lambert explained during the partnership’s board meeting that the enhanced GP service will cater for minor ailments and urgent requests during the day. The move is aimed at alleviating pressure on A&E departments.
She said people should exercise common sense and “if you have got a cough and cold, don’t go to A&E”.
While the shake up was described by county councillor for Teesdale Richard Bell as an exciting development, he cautioned that people don’t know what urgent care is.
He said: “There is nothing in the surgeries at the moment to say what is urgent care.
“You don’t particularly want to be standing in front of the receptionist saying ‘I have got this really bad whatever’ in front of a room full of people.
“I don’t think general practice at present is geared up for urgent care.”
He also warned of problems experienced when similar schemes have been introduced elsewhere.
He said: “GP practices in Bishop Auckland were being paid to provide urgent care and they weren’t doing it. People were going to the hospital because they were getting a better service and the GP practices were quite happy to accept money for those services but they weren’t promoting it.”
Ms Lambert, who is head of corporate services for Durham Dales Easington and Sedgefield Clinical Commissioning Group, responded: “We are working with all the GP surgeries to see how their access works.
“We are working behind the scenes to try and streamline some of those systems to make it easier for patients to get in when they need to.”