I have been receiving a lot of enquiries from constituents concerning the NHS. Several of these letters have expressed frustration with not being able to see a GP face to face. I understand this frustration and so I wanted to raise these issues directly with Senior GPs at Whiteley Surgery.
This was a very useful meeting where I learnt about GP plans to provide better, more efficient services to patients, so that more people can see the right professional with the best information. Dr Tom Bertram and Dr Paul Howden from the Sovereign Health Network explained the increased use of the new E-consult system which has allowed an increase in appointment uptake. Additionally, I was pleased to learn that more staff have been employed by Sovereign Primary Care Network to answer phones and that the telephone system is due to be upgraded.
The meeting also confirmed that every day 300 to 400 enquires are made to the Sovereign Health Network, with 25% to 30% of these being done face to face with a GP. The success of the new triage system means that it will be staying in place, however, the Sovereign Health Network have assured me that it is aiming to increase the number of face to face appointments. I want to personally thank all our local medical professionals for their incredibly hard work.
