Praise for scheme offering same-day access to health services in Fareham

AROUND 200 patients a week are using a service where they can see a GP the same day at a hospital.
Picture: Paul JacobsPicture: Paul Jacobs
Picture: Paul Jacobs

The new Fareham Primary Care Service, which includes the same-day access service at Fareham Community Hospital, saw nearly 1,000 patients in five weeks.

And in November, it made 3,843 triage calls to patients – an average of 768 a week, and took 859 calls in its busiest week.

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Around 970 patients were seen at Fareham Community Hospital, in Park Gate, where the service is based.

Dr Tom Bertram, a Titchfield GP who is clinical lead for the project, said: ‘We are delighted with the way service is proving so successful with the vast majority of patients who contact us, asking for same-day appointments.

‘But – as we hoped – there are very encouraging signs that it is also helping to ease the pressure on routine non-emergency appointments at the participating GP practice.’

The Fareham Primary Care Service involves patients and staff from three Fareham area GP practices – Highlands Practice, Jubilee Surgery and Whiteley Surgery. Stubbington Medical Practice will also join the scheme, from today.

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They are working together to develop a new way of offering urgent appointments to patients who want to see a health professional on the day they make contact.

The scheme was last week visited by Fareham MP Suella Fernandes, who praised it.

She said: ‘This new collaboration is already getting very good feedback from patients.

‘Well done to the team and thank you for this excellent service to our community.’

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Routine appointments at GP practices are not affected by the service and continue as before.

Patients wanting urgent same-day appointments phone their GP practice as normal and, if they agree to their details being shared with the service, they will then be called back in order of clinical priority.

A nurse or GP will have a detailed conversation with them which may result in the patient being given advice over the phone or offered an appointment.

It has been funded by the Better Local Care initiative.

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