As a patient of this practice, it is important that you understand what the changes imposed on us from 1st October really mean for you.
Key Points
1. The Y&YGP document was due to be developed with GP surgeries but has been published without this input and agreement.
2. General Practice is clear that your safety is paramount. The Y&YGP document and government have ignored general practices expert and clear voice that the changes of 1st October, including the Y&YGP document, could risk your safety and practices being overwhelmed.
3. No additional resources or safety measures have been provided which were promised by government to protect you and our GP practice colleagues. This absence risks a patient accidentally submitting a non-urgent request which is medically urgent and them becoming seriously unwell or worse.
4. We and you must not allow patient safety to be put at risk by inadequately developed government agendas.
The document says:
When and how can you contact your general practice?
While the document says your general practice is open from 8.00am to 6.30pm, Monday to Friday and throughout these hours you, or your carer on your behalf, can:
• Visit the practice
• Call them
• Go online using the practice’s website or the NHS App.
And
The practice team will consider your request for an appointment or medical advice and tell you within one working day what will happen next.
This could be:
• An appointment that day or a subsequent day
• A phone call that day or a subsequent day
• A text message responding to your query
• Advice to go to a pharmacy or another NHS service.
What you need to know:
This doesn’t mean you will get an appointment the same day or receive a personalised response the same day. If a greater number of patient appointment requests are received by the practice each day, more of the working hours of the team, including your GP, will be taken up looking at these requests to decide what if they require an appointment or advice and so there will be LESS overall appointments available. This may lead to longer waits for appointments and responses to those you currently receive.
You may be advised, when you contact your practice and they have reached safe working capacity for requests that day and either:
1. For routine requests, they will reply or contact you in a number of working days.
2. For urgent requests, to call 999 or attend an A&E or Urgent Treatment Centre.
The increased number of routine requests will create waiting lists, which due to there being no extra GPs or nurses funded by government for these changes, will likely increase in size over time. Waiting list management will also use some of the GP practice capacity to safely manage patient waits, further impacting response times to usual practice activities and patient support.
Government have pushed for these changes to say “We have fixed the 8am rush”. In doing so, they are risking your safety and health as well as the workload demands and wellbeing of our GP practice colleagues.
We want the best services available for you, but they must be safe.
Please help support us by sharing this information to help patients understand why the changes in Y&YGP risk the future of your health and sustainability and safety of your GP surgery.