Shropshire health chiefs share plans to improve access to doctors' surgeries

A digital telephony service is also set to be introduced across practices which will include callback and the increased use of the NHS mobile app.

The measures are part of the Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin Integrated Care Board’s (ICB) access improvement plan.

Gareth Robinson, director of delivery and transformation, presented the report to Telford & Wrekin Council’s health and wellbeing board this week.

He said that there were 2.86 million appointments in Shropshire each year and 9 per cent more appointments since the Covid-19 pandemic.

Part of the improvement plan is to roll out the NHS App to 90 per cent of practices by March next year and increase patient self-referral activity by 50 per cent.

An ‘improved’ digital telephony service across systems will offer call queuing, call back, call routing and integration with clinical systems.

“We want to empower patients with their own care through the NHS app,” said Mr Robinson.

“It won’t be appropriate for all patients but will be for some and reduce pressure. The digital telephony service will take away the analogue telephone system where people can’t get through.”

The plan also proposes to increase the use of community pharmacy services at the 81 community pharmacies across Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin.

The ‘future vision’ is for community pharmacies to be ‘deeply integrated and utilised’ with primary care systems.

The Common Conditions Service is subject to national consultation and would allow pharmacists to supply prescription-only medicines, including antibiotics and antivirals.

A Care Navigation Training programme was launched in the summer with one place for each primary care network or doctor’s practice.

By the end of September 35 staff from 29 practices in Shropshire had completed the training.

The Primary Care Access Improvement Plan believes that 15 per cent of current GP appointments ‘could be navigated’ to self-care, a community pharmacy, admin teams or other appropriate local services.

“We have 350 GPs in the county and we have to focus on care at the right place,” said Mr Robinson.

“Of course people prefer to see their GP, but it’s not always appropriate. We have to triage patients to the right place.”

The council’s health and wellbeing board were also provided with an update about the current GP Practice Healthwatch Survey.

Healthwatch Telford and Wrekin chief executive, Simon Fogell, said that the survey was created due to feedback the independent regulator and Telford & Wrekin Council were receiving.

He said that 8,312 people had now completed the GP Practice Healthwatch Survey.

“We’ve found a strong dissatisfaction to access some GP surgeries, but not all,” said Mr Fogell. “It is a snapshot as people only ever remember the last time they tried to get an appointment, unless they do often.

“It’s good to notice that once people get to see a doctor they are quite satisfied. The problem is getting that initial contact and getting over that first hurdle. People tend to get fed up of ringing to then find out appointments have closed for the day.

“They then call 111 or go to A&E, we need to resolve that by getting people through the front door and reducing the pressure on A&E.

“We’ve got to make sure those that those for whatever reason can’t access digital services get past that 8am queue.”

Mr Fogell said that they would share their full report with the Integrated Health Board at the end of January.

Councillor Paul Watling, Telford & Wrekin Council’s cabinet member for health systems, said that they should look at what some surgeries are doing differently to tackle the access problem.

“In stopping the 8am rush we need to change the culture that it must be a doctor helping them, but how we do that we need to be very careful,” said Councillor Watling.

“I don’t think we’ve got it right at the moment. People go to A&E as they haven’t seen a doctor for two weeks which increased their problem.”