|
|
|
|
Primary Care Out of Hours Medical Services Update: 28 September 2005 I attended my first Dorset & Somerset Out of Hours Leads meeting on 19 September 2005. This is the group that will oversee the operational aspects of the change from NHS Direct and West Country Ambulance (SUCH) to DECS (Dorset Emergency Care Service). These operational arrangements and strategic considerations are overseen by a joint commissioning board that includes Commissioner, Provider and SHA representation which is attended by David Slack in his capacity as Director of Finance for the project. Plans for the changes are rapidly moving forward. It is anticipated that the full transfer to DECS will be completed in February. There will continue to be an operational presence in Somerset and this will include the rota management. This is extremely important in being able to maintain the local knowledge particularly around differences in Treatment Centres etc. All call handling will move to DECS by 1 February 2006 and the call recording system used by DECS will be rolled out across Somerset. I believe this is a simple system which involves dialling a predetermined number prior to calling a patient. The new updated version of “Night Owl” Adastra III should be in place by the end of December. This will considerably improve the quality of data available to practices after Out of Hours input and will also enable much more detailed reporting and evaluation of the service. A pilot of Adastra III in practices is currently underway in a number of practices in Dorset. This facility will enable the electronic transfers of details relating to Out of Hours consultations to be passed to practices and it is hoped that it will be rolled out across Dorset by November, Somerset to follow. In the meantime Dr Steve Scott is working with DECS to improve the fax information. Other work is underway around workforce development and developing any additional standards required for the monitoring of service. Please note the Out of Hours telephone number will remain as now. I will keep you updated as the process progresses. Judith Brown, Director of Service Delivery & Development
Update: 24 May 2005 Dear Colleague The Out of Hours (OOH) Service has now been running for over 6 months and although there are still a number of pressure points, the service has been really well supported by General Practitioners (GP’s) across the county – thank you. In Somerset Coast I am particularly pleased to report that the majority of our shifts are routinely filled, our two main Treatment Centres are functioning extremely well and the refurbishment of both Bridgwater and Minehead Hospitals is drawing to a conclusion. There is ongoing work across the county to enhance the performance of NHS Direct to improve access into the service. Additional capacity was introduced in February and call streaming is now in place. As always, we have been reviewing the service on a regular basis and on the 13 May 2005 a review was undertaken by the Strategic Health Authority across both Dorset and Somerset. We await the Action Plan from this meeting. Two points for your urgent attention: A new telephone number for the OOH Service is being introduced on the 1 June 2005. This follows both concerns raised by the public and an instruction from the Department of Health re the use of different telephone numbers. The new number will be 0845 408 8000. This is a local rate number and replaces the 0870 number previously used across the Exemplar. New leaflets have been sent out to all practices via the Somerset Communications Department; my sincere apologies if these were not accompanied by a letter. The new number is already in place and the old number will continue to connect patients to the service. It is, however, extremely important that supplies of the old leaflet are removed from display and disposed of, and that any other information available, or displayed in practices is amended to reflect the new number. Answer phone messages will also need to be changed please. Download the Poster for new Telephone Number Medical sessions across Somerset have been reviewed, and in particular, the Telephone Consultation role and the pressures that have been experienced by the Central Doctor. As a result, with effect from the 1 July 2005, additional Telephone Consultation will be introduced to the service and will be in PCT Localities. Some Treatment Centres shifts have also been extended. For Somerset Coast, the changes are as follows: Bridgwater Treatment Centre – Saturday, Sunday and Bank Holidays – the sessions are extended to the following: 10.00-16.00 hrs 18.00-22.00 hrs Telephone consultation sessions will be introduced to Bridgwater Community Hospital on Saturdays, Sundays and Bank Holidays sessions being 08.00-16.00 hrs 16.00-23.00 hrs. Sessions at Minehead Treatment Centre and Burnham-on-Sea Treatment Centre will remain unchanged. However, we are trying to improve access to Knight Owl system to enable Telephone Consultation to be routinely undertaken at Minehead. Please note, details of all shifts are available on the website www.oohonline.com I am sure you will be aware that shifts are now booked via this online facility. The new ADASTRA software system is on order and will improve data flows, reporting, and most importantly, information to practices. We hope that this software will be in place sometime in the summer. As ever, should you have any queries, please do not hesitate to contact me. Judith Brown, Director of Service Delivery & Development
Update: 01 June 2004 Download the first edition of the OOH Update newsletter:
Update: 07 April 2004 Dear Colleague Considerable progress has been made this week with regards Out of Hours Planning. On Tuesday Alan Carpenter and I attended a half day meeting at the Strategic Health Authority. All four Somerset Chief Executives and the Lead Directors were present. The detailed plans were presented together with a raft of activity information and analysis. The outcome of the session was extremely positive. The SHA supported the model and, I think, felt confident in our data and modelling etc. We were given an indication of the financial framework and thus the current gap. The PCTs now need to work together and with Dorset in order to balance the finances and can then move ahead with implementation without the need to represent the plans. The Chief Executives and Leads met again this morning and have worked on the financial plan and the implementation programme. The proposals and options are now being costed and we hope to reach a point of closure over the next two weeks. No definite decisions re the start date will be taken until the finances are balanced and I will keep you informed of the detail once it is finalised.
Judith Brown Director of Clinical Services
Update: 16 March 2004 To all: Practice Managers, Senior Partners Dear Colleague As I am sure you are aware the County Wide and PCT specific Out of Hours plans are currently being scrutinised by the Strategic Health Authority. We are unable to commence the implementation plan ie the "pilot" of the Red Eye period until the plans have been signed off by the Authority. The Health Authority are looking to assure themselves that the plans are sufficiently robust and safe for us to begin the implementation process. To date two sets of plans have been submitted the second providing additional detail requested by the Authority eg hour by hour activity and a more detailed break down of the financial flows. A meeting was held on Monday to discuss these and I understand, although I was not present, that some further work has been requested and therefore we have not yet achieved "sign off". To date I have not received formal feedback from Mendip PCT (the lead for OOH) with regards the above work and the proposed timescales but thought I should keep you informed. There is an OOH Leads Group tomorrow (17 March 2004) and a County Wide Development Group on Thursday and I would anticipate that further decisions will be made at the latter. I am sorry not to be able to provide you with more detailed or concrete information but would anticipate some slippage in the April 1st start date. I will keep you updated with the situation and any decisions as they are taken.
Judith Brown, Director of Clinical Services |
||||||||||
