It has been recognised nationally that GP workload has been increasing and that practices are struggling to meet demand, especially for same day appointments. GP Access Hubs were set up across the country to ensure that patients can be seen urgently without placing additional pressure on over stretched practices.
In Brent, the local NHS Clinical Commissioning Group wants to make GP services accessible and to meet the needs of local residents. The registered population in Brent has grown 7.4% in the last 4 years and with demographic growth and local regeneration and housing projects, the population needing GP services will continue to grow.
There are currently nine GP practices in Brent acting as GP Access Hubs. This is a service funded by NHS Brent CCG, with the aim of releasing some pressure on practices and ensuring that people have access to GP and nurse appointments in the evenings and weekends. Patients can call their own GP practice or dial ‘111’ to get an
appointment in the hub.
So what’s changing in Brent? The nine hubs are under-utilised, and this means appointments often go to waste as well as valuable GP time. It also means public money is not being used as efficiently as it could be. The CCG’s proposed revised model will condense these appointments across a fewer number of sites, 5 in total, enabling more consistent opening hours and appointments at times when people need them (like after-school or early evening). Three of the sites have been fixed in line with the CCGs estate strategy namely Wembley Centre for Health and Care, Willesden Centre for Health and Care and Central Middlesex Hospital (where a GP practice will open early in the New Year). The other two sites will be determined following the current engagement period, but one will likely be located in the north of the borough and one in the south to ensure equity of access.
As part of the planned changes, the GP Access Centre (walk in service) at the Wembley Centre for Health and Care will become a pre-bookable service which means you won’t have to wait as long to be seen and the GP will be able to provide a full service for you.
Brent CCG wants to hear resident’s views about this, and have set up a survey that can be accessed at https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/6VF7Z87 . The engagement period will go on until the 9 th January 2018, so make sure your opinion is heard! They will also be holding workshops and drop-in sessions in the borough.
To find out more details about the proposed changes and when drop in sessions will be held, visit the CCG’s website here http://brentccg.nhs.uk/en/review-of- brent-gp-access-services Cllr Ketan Sheth is Brent Council’s Chair of the Community and Wellbeing Scrutiny Committee
