Fareham GP group Sovereign Healthcare brings on new staff after barrage of complaints

A GROUP of GP surgeries in Fareham is rapidly taking on staff to address resident’s complaints that the service has become ‘shambolic’.
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Sovereign Healthcare – a trio of surgeries including Whiteley Surgery, the Jubilee Surgery in Titchfield, and the Highlands Practice – has launched a raft of improvements after mounting criticism about accessing a GP.

Last month a Fareham health summit, organised by area MP Suella Braverman, saw residents from across the borough blast the service, with some saying it was nigh-on impossible to secure an in-person doctor’s appointment.

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Now the healthcare partnership, which looks after more than 40,000 patients, has undertaken a recruitment drive to help alleviate the problems, bringing onboard new nurses, doctors, and receptionists.

The partnership includes Highlands GP Practice (pictured), The Whiteley Surgery and Jubilee Surgery, in Titchfield.The partnership includes Highlands GP Practice (pictured), The Whiteley Surgery and Jubilee Surgery, in Titchfield.
The partnership includes Highlands GP Practice (pictured), The Whiteley Surgery and Jubilee Surgery, in Titchfield.

Dr Tom Bertram, clinical director of Sovereign Health Partnership said: ‘In recent weeks we have increased the number of staff who deal with telephone enquiries, appointed an additional Patient Services Manager, boosted our social prescribing team and our pharmacy and prescribing teams, and taken on additional GP locums to help support the significant increase in demand for appointments.

‘We are also taking part in a local pilot to make additional GP video-consultation appointments available to patients.

‘We are currently looking to develop our new surgery website and are working with the CCG to improve digital access to ensure that people have the best experience possible.’

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The service now reports that patients’ calls are held in queues for 30 per cent less time than last year, and same-day appointment numbers have increased by 896 per month.

The leader of Fareham Borough Council, Councillor Sean Woodward, is continuing to meet with senior doctors from the group and NHS Hampshire after receiving ‘many, many’ complaints from residents.

Cllr Woodward said: ‘They are very very keen to sort out the issues.

I have forwarded many, many complaints. I would say almost all of them relate to access, and people feel very strongly about this.

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‘(NHS Hampshire and Sovereign Healthcare) are very very keen to sort out the issues.

‘I welcome the improvements that are being made.’

NHS Hampshire is currently looking at a tendering process to replace the much-criticized online booking service e-eConsult, according to Cllr Woodward.

Residents will have the chance to share their views with representatives with the healthcare group at a drop-in event at the Holiday Inn, in Cartwright Drive, at 11am on Tuesday May 24.

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