• FCH Taskforce publishes ‘Future Vision’ report following public consultation
• Report concludes that local community welcomes GP Same Day Access Service, better public transport links and more signposting are needed for patients
The Fareham Community Hospital (FCH) Taskforce has published a report welcoming the GP-led Same Day Access Service and calling for its further rollout, better public transport links, greater collaboration with the voluntary sector and more signposting to mental health services and support services for the elderly.
The Taskforce, which is chaired by Fareham MP Suella Braverman and is comprised of various NHS organisations, patient groups and Hampshire County Council, held a consultation in 2018 with patients, members of the public, local GPs and NHS bodies to determine how the hospital could be better utilised to expand local services and relieve pressure off of main hospitals in the region.
The report, entitled Fareham Community Hospital Future Vision, draws conclusions on the consultation feedback to recommend what improvements should be made both in and outside of the hospital.
These include an expansion of the Same Day Access Service (SDAS) – also known as a Primary care Network – so that more people can see a GP quicker. The SDAS is currently comprised of three GP surgeries - Jubilee, Whiteley and Highlands Road - whereby patients can see a GP at short notice at FCH rather than having to wait to see a GP at the surgery itself. Feedback from the consultation showed that local residents overwhelmingly supported the SDAS and would welcome its expansion to other surgeries. Responses also indicated that the community would welcome a new walk-in service at FCH to avoid visiting the Queen Alexandra Hospital, although it is concluded by the Taskforce that expanding the SDAS would be more effective and financially viable than introducing a walk-in service, which would still see a greater level of service provision.
The Future Vision report is published just as the Portsmouth Hospitals Trust confirms that it is committed to delivering a Renal/Dialysis Training Hub at FCH to support local patients with kidney problems, saving them the travel to QA Hospital.
Launching the report, Taskforce chair and Fareham MP Suella Braverman said:
“This report is very important for laying out a vision of how Fareham Community Hospital can better serve the people of Fareham in the future.
“We undertook a public consultation to gauge what services local people would like to see at FCH and how the hospital can be better utilised, and I’m very pleased that we can now present our findings.
“In particular, the Same Day Access Service has been very effective in making sure that local residents can see a GP with greater ease, and it’s clear that the local community would like to see that service expanded to cover the whole of Fareham and surrounding communities. It’s also vital that we make the hospital as accessible as possible, and that’s why we have recommended a new bus stop so that patients – particularly elderly patients – can get to FCH safer and quicker.
“I look forward to working with the Taskforce, FCH and local NHS organisations to make the recommendations in our report a reality so that the people of Fareham have better local health services.”
Dr Tom Bertram, Clinical Director for Sovereign Healthcare and GP Partner at Jubilee Surgery said:
“Our three practices - Jubilee Surgery, Highlands Road Surgery and Whiteley Surgery - have been working together as a Primary Care Network called Sovereign Healthcare. We have been providing an urgent, same day assessment service for our patients from Fareham Community Hospital over the last 18 months which has been both effective and efficient, as well as proving very popular with our patients. We are grateful to all the members of the public who took the trouble to give us their views and feedback, and look forward to playing our part in the future of the hospital.”
The report also recommends that a new bus stop is required at FCH so that local residents can access the hospital with greater ease, especially for the elderly who often do not have access to a car.
Better signposting is also proposed for support services for elderly patients as well as for Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS). Stronger communication channels are also advised with greater use of social media and website updates.
Dr David Chilvers, chair of NHS Fareham and Gosport Clinical Commissioning Group said:
“I would like to thank Suella and her team for this report and those who took the time to share their views through the consultation. It is helpful to hear the suggestions from local people about the changes they would like to see and how we can try to expand new services we have introduced, such as the Same Day Access Service, which has shown to be extremely popular with patients.
“I look forward to continuing to work with the Taskforce and our partners and together we will review the report’s findings and recommendations and use these to shape our work going forward.”
The Friends of Fareham Community Hospital, which sits on the Taskforce, said:
“The Friends are pleased that our local MP has shown such an interest in Fareham Community Hospital and hope some of the ideas in this report are taken on board by the Fareham & Gosport Clinical Commissioning Group, the General Practices, Hants County Council, health trusts and others providing services to the hospital.
“The Friends and their volunteers will continue to promote and support the hospital and the local community it serves through various activities such as running dementia support groups, holding regular talks on health related matters which help us to help ourselves, and supporting new initiatives.”
The Future Vision report can be found here.
• The membership of the Taskforce is currently comprised of:
o Adults Health and Care Team, Hampshire County Council
o Community Health Partnerships
o Fareham and Gosport Clinical Commissioning Group
o Fareham Primary Care Services
o Friends of Fareham Community Hospital
o Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust
o Solent Estates Partnerships Ltd
o Solent NHS Trust
o Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust
o One Community
o University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust
o Suella Braverman MP (chair)
