NHS launches consultation on plans to improve Warrington’s extended access service 

Warrington’s Primary Care Networks (PCNs) have launched a consultation on Warrington’s enhanced access service to ensure proposed plans meet the needs of local residents.

At the moment all GP practices must provide some additional appointments every week before or after normal opening times for their own patients; this is known as extended hours.

In addition, clinical commissioning groups must make sure that patients can access appointments with primary care clinicians and staff in convenient locations across the town again outside of the hours that you can go to your registered practice; this is known as extended access. 

From October 2022 NHS England has decided that these two services should come together and form one service that will be known as Enhanced Access.

Currently, appointments are available at Bath Street Health and Wellbeing Centre. New proposals, however, will consider the service moving from Bath Street and expand to fixed location across Warrington for each day of the week, making the service more accessible for patients.   

CCGs are currently responsible for commissioning (buying) extended access services. However, with the national development of Primary Care Networks (PCNs), the funding and responsibility for extended access will transfer from CCGs to PCNs by October 2022. 

Before the service launches in October 2022, Warrington’s five PCNs are asking people to consider whether the following are convenient:

• Times of appointments
• Appointment days
• Location of appointments

The consultation will also take into consideration the extended hours service currently provided at Eric Moore Partnership.
 

The new service is currently being trialled at the proposed venues before the launch of the new service.

In a recent patient PCN-led satisfaction survey about the extended access pilot, 97% of respondents were either very satisfied or satisfied with the overall experience, 94% said they would recommend the service to their friends and family and 85% said the location of the appointment was convenient. 

You can access the extended access service consultation on NHS Warrington CCG’s website

You can find out more about PCNs in the consultation document and via the NHS website PCN page: https://www.england.nhs.uk/primary-care/primary-care-networks/.

The closing date for the consultation is Tuesday 26^th July 2022 

Bank Holiday Closures

The surgery will be closed  on Thursday  the 2nd of June and friday the 3rd of June 2022 the bank holiday 

For urgent matters whilst we are closed you should call the NHS Service 111. For emergencies only, please call 999. 

For routine matters, please wait for the surgery to re open on Monday the 6th of June.

IF YOU REQUIRE URGENT MEDICAL ASSISTANCE WHICH CANNOT WAIT UNTIL THE SURGERY REOPENS PLEASE CALL 111. CALLS TO THIS NHS SERVICE ARE FREE FROM BOTH LANDLINES AND MOBILES.

HOW YOU ACCESS THE PRACTICE HAS CHANGED

Due to the current Coronavirus Pandemic, the way you access the Practice has changed. We are trying to safely resume as many of our services as possible, but we would ask you not to attend surgery unless asked to do so by a Clinician. If you do need to attend surgery please wear a face covering.

We would ask you to continue to telephone the surgery if you wish to arrange a telephone review or face to face appointment.  You can also contact us via  eConsult.

Our Reception Team are trained in Care Navigation so will need to ask for a brief description of your problem to signpost you to the most appropriate person.

If you arrange a telephone consultation, your Clinician will review your problem and will then, depending on your needs:-

• Offer you advice via text

• Offer a video call

• Ask to see you in person (face to face) or

• Navigate you to other services such as Pharmacy, Walk in Centre, Urgent Care

• The surgery is open Monday to Friday from 8 am to 6.30 pm.If you have an urgent problem during these times please ring the surgery. At all other times ring NHS 111

• Face coverings are required when entering the building.Masks are freely available for any patient who doesn't have theirs with them. We can also provide visors if required.

• Please ensure on entering the premises you wash your hands using the wall mounted sanitisers

• Our reception area has changed ,the seating is more spaced out to ensure patients attending surgery can safely socially distance whilst waiting for their appointment.

• There is a floor mat clearly indicating where patients should wait to speak to the receptionist.

• There is screening at our reception desk to protect you and our staff

• The self check in screens are operational and have an anti bacterial coating.

• The front door is open and patients may walk in to the reception area. Face masks and sanitiser can be found on the table inside the foyer. Sanitiser is located at  several check points around the building.

• Entrances and Exits are clearly marked. We do have an intercom located on the outside wall next to the front entrance for any patient who does not wish to enter the buidling