Changes on Way for Healthcare

Patients across West Yorkshire could be given a single round-the- clock telephone number to call if they need urgent care.

The number would not replace 999, NHS Direct or GPs’ surgeries during office hours but health chiefs hope it would simplify the way in which people access urgent attention, including out-of-hours care.

Local Care Direct currently provides GP out of hours care across West Yorkshire and patients are either re-directed to them or given the number to call when they call their GPs’ surgeries out of hours.

The provider’s contract is due to end next April and the West Yorkshire Urgent Care Strategic Commissioning Programme is looking at a new model to improve the way patients access and are treated in urgent care services.

At present, patients who need urgent care can contact their own GP during normal working hours on weekdays, call NHS Direct, 999 for emergency cases, visit a pharmacist or call the out of hours emergency GP service.

Laura Sherburn, head of urgent care for Leeds Primary Care Trust and acting programme manager for the West Yorkshire Urgent Care Commissioning Programme, said the new access number would not replace calling GPs’ practices during office hours.

“A local GP is still your first point of contact during office hours. By extending the out of hours to become a 24/7 urgent care number we have a better opportunity of getting the patients to the right place in the right time,” she said.

Health chiefs hope the proposed change would reduce unnecessary trips to accident and emergency departments and inappropriate calls to the 999 emergency number.

The measure is one under consideration by Primary Care Trusts across West Yorkshire which are reviewing the existing urgent care system.

A report which will be presented to Bradford Council’s Health Improvement Committee on Thursday from Bradford and Airedale teaching trust says: “Patient experience of this urgent care system varies and health professionals often complain that patients go to the wrong place for treatment resulting in demand for urgent and emergency care services rising year on year.

“The public have told us that they are confused about what services are available to them and how and when they should access them.”

Last summer people across West Yorkshire were asked what improvements they would like to see made to urgent care services.

Feedback included a desire for more information on how best to use the services and improved access to their own GP practice.

A formal 12-week public consultation about the proposed new model for the service, which has yet to be revealed, will begin in May.

Mrs Sherburn said: “Patients will be consulted on the proposed improvements to the urgent care system as a result of what they told us in the summer and part of what they told us was that they found it confusing in terms of access points. So we are looking to simplify that with a more joined-up access system so that whatever number they ring they will get a consistent response.

“They also told us that they did not want to wait a long time and they wanted to see the person who knew most about their complaint and wanted to be able to be directed to a place that was appropriate for their needs, so we are looking at how we configure our treatment services.”

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