Improving access to primary care this winter

As we prepare for winter, it is important for NHS services in Sussex to ensure they can provide the best possible service for patients.

Health and care services, including GP practices, are seeing significant increases in need for care since the pandemic.

Despite the challenges currently being faced by primary care, more than 41,000 appointments were held each working day in Sussex in September.

This is a record number for 2022, with numbers of appointments being offered rising every month since the start of the year, and the number is expected to increase further as we move into winter.

On average 43.3% of appointments are taking place on the same day as booking, 16.8% within two to seven days of booking and 12.6% within 8 to 14 days. This is comparable to June 2019 (pre-pandemic) and is above the national and regional average.

We know more people will need to use health and care services over the coming months, due to winter bugs, people’s existing conditions getting worse in the cold, and the expected increase in the rates of flu and Covid.

Many people have told us this year that they are happy with their local GP practice and were able to get advice and care quickly and in ways that worked for them. However, some people said they did have difficulties getting appointments and care in the way they wanted and in timely way.

We are working with GP practices across Sussex to make improvements for the winter period – and for the longer term – to help to improve access to GP practices for patients across our communities.

How we are making things better

Providing evening and weekend appointments

It is now possible to get an appointment between 8am and 8pm Mondays to Fridays and between 9am and 5pm on Saturdays.

Evening and weekend appointments are being provided by groups of practices from the same area that work closely together to provide services and share resources.

This means when patients ask for an evening or Saturday appointment, it may not always be held at their usual practice but at another one nearby. By working together in this way, people can have fast access to appointments and the care they need, at a time that works for them.

Evening and weekends appointments will be a mixture of face-to-face appointments and telephone or video appointments.

Boosting access

We are investing £1.8m this winter to support practices to further improve access. This fund will encourage innovation to support practices to remain accessible and responsive to patients, potentially including examples such as:

• Additional GPs, health care assistants, practice nurses or other key staff working extra sessions to increase appointment availability for patients
• Support with workflow, either short term 3rd party provision or support to develop existing practice staff
• Additional administrative support to bolster patient response times
• Care navigation / signposting training to better manage patient demand.

Recruiting a bigger workforce

Expanding roles in GP practices means that already busy GPs will have time freed up to see the patients who need them most.

As well as doctors, there are lots of highly trained health professionals available to see patients, including nurses, paramedics, GP assistants, therapists, social prescribers, and advanced care practitioners.

To date around 540 FTE “additional roles” have been recruited across Sussex since the inception of PCNs, including physiotherapists, physician associates, mental health practitioners and social prescribers.

Offering the right skills at the right time is about ensuring patients are able to see the most appropriate healthcare professional for their need. However, you can still see a doctor if it is most appropriate for your health needs.

Making it easier to get an appointment

Local practices are growing and adapting to make it easier for patients wishing to make appointments.

Some practices have introduced a new system where incoming calls to practices are via the internet rather than by a phone line, which means it will be easier to get through to your practice.

Appointments can also be booked online at some practices or via e-Consultation on your practice website. Call back options are now in place in many practices, so this will mean less waiting in telephone queues.

Providing community pharmacy consultations

A new service is available for patients with minor illnesses to be referred for consultations on the same day with a community pharmacist. This means patients can get help more quickly and those who need to see a GP can do so more easily.

Supporting communities

£1.5 million new funding is being allocated to practices in areas that have the highest number of patients living in deprivation to provide more accessible and responsive services.

Help us help you

As practices work to provide more appointments for patients, we are asking patients to make the right choice when they need care, to ensure they get the right care, at the right time.

Remember that a pharmacist can help with over the counter medicines, self-care treatments, and a range of medical advice and support.

Find out about the options available to you.

You can also help make sure you are seen by the right person at your GP practice by giving as much information as possible to the reception team when booking an appointment.

Watch this video to find out why this is important: