How to keep up with modern day demands

Gone are the days of working nine till five as consumer demands continue to rise and even retirement is filled with family obligations or other activities.

As a result, there is an ever-growing call for services to change, particularly in the NHS, and to keep up with the pace of modern day living.

Cannock Chase Clinical Commissioning Group also recognises the need for change but wants to do so in partnership with patients and the public to make sure any changes that are made are responsive to patient need.

One such area is the traditional role of the family doctor and the Government's aim for seven day access to primary care. Access to GP appointments was also one of the key areas that patients and the public raised with the CCG during its Call to Action engagement events earlier this year.

Extended working hours and employment policies around taking time out of work was a particular area of concern for residents in Cannock Chase and cited as one of the key barriers for them getting to see a GP.

There was widespread support for seven-day access but also an acknowledgement that there may need to be compromises along the way.

Some of the suggestions that were made during the engagement exercise included weekend appointments, a walk-in facility and increased use of virtual appointments such as telephone consultations and even appointments by Skype.

People understood that it may not be feasible for a practice to simply add weekend appointments to their existing hours but felt that there may be alternative ways to achieve weekend coverage such as the practices operating a rota system.

There was recognition that technology could be used to increase flexibility of appointments, particularly for those who work or who may struggle to get to the practice, but also a word of caution for those who would benefit more from face-to-face consultations. There was also support for patients being seen by clinicians other than the GP to ease the pressure on appointments such as practice nurses, medicine managers for medication reviews and phlebotomists.

Although the CCG received some really constructive feedback from those who attended the events and also from engagement with community and voluntary groups across the area, it now wants to extend the discussion around seven-day access to a much wider audience.

Do you have a view on increasing access to primary care? What compromises would you be willing to make?