From this month a new same-day service, also referred to as Fareham Primary Care Service, will be available to some residents in Fareham. The scheme will involve four GP practices in the borough – Highlands Practice in Fareham, Jubilee Surgery in Titchfield, Stubbington Medical Practice, and Whiteley Surgery – working together to provide the service.
The service will only be for patients registered at the four participating practices during the initially period, with the Fareham & Gosport Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) looking to expand if successful.
The way the service will operate is by the patient first phoning their GP practice as normal and, if they ask for a same-day appointment they will be asked if their details can be shared with the service. Patients will be called back by the service in order of clinical priority with the nurse or GP having a detailed conversation with them. The patient may be given advice on how to take care of themselves, arrangements made for medication to be available at a pharmacy or an appointment offered and will be run from Fareham Community Hospital, with appointments being held there if a patient is offered one.
I have led a group– Fareham Community Hospital Taskforce – since I was elected in 2015 that has campaigned for greater use of Fareham Community Hospital, including utilising its facilities for Same-Day-Access-Services. The group has worked alongside the CCG, Portsmouth Hospital NHS Trust, University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, local doctors and other health support groups.
This is a great new service for Fareham. I am confident that given the demand for same-day and primary care services that the Fareham Primary Care Service will be a success and provide residents which much needed services.
The Taskforce has worked hard over the last two years to secure increased services at Fareham Community Hospital and I am very grateful to the CCG, NHS Trusts, other local and community groups that have helped to secure change.
