Don't Worry About Change, Says Trust
16/09/2004
Patients across Cotswold and Vale have been reassured that they will continue to receive the care they need when changes to GP services out of hours come into force later this year.
Cotswold and Vale Primary Care Trust, which covers the north and south Cotswolds, Stroud and Berkeley Vale, will take on responsibility for out of hours services from November.
Up until now, GPs have offered their own out of hours services to patients registered with their practices. But, as part of the new GP contract, GPs have the option to 'opt out' of responsibility for providing this care.
"In common with GPs across the country, all 33 of our GP practices have decided to relinquish their responsibility for OOHs care. We are however delighted that many individual GP's have chosen to work in the new service," said Sophie Campbell-Black, Director of Primary Care at the Trust.
This week, patients will be able to pick up a comprehensive leaflet from their local surgery detailing the changes and the new county telephone number for out of hours services.
The single telephone number - 08454 220220 - will come into use on 1 December this year, and is for countywide use when patients need to access urgent medical advice OOHs. Until then, they should continue to call their own GP surgery from which their call will be diverted.
Under the new system, specially trained staff working within Gloucestershire Ambulance Service will take patients' calls. Staff will assess whether a patient should attend a local Primary Care Centre, speak to a doctor or nurse over the phone, receive a visit at home or, in an emergency, be collected by ambulance.
There will be five Primary Care Centres in the Cotswold and Vale area. Much of the GP staffing at these will be provided by our own GPs working on a new rota system.
In addition, the NHS in Gloucestershire is recruiting new 'salaried' GPs, who will join the new out of hours mobile team or be based at Primary Care Centres.
