Agenda item

To receive the final findings and recommendations from the GP Access Scrutiny Task Group.

Councillor Mary Daly (Chair of the GP Access Scrutiny Task Group) introduced the report, which included the final findings and recommendations from the GP Access Scrutiny Task Group conducted by the Community and Wellbeing Scrutiny Committee. She highlighted that the report had been very customer focused in relation to access to primary care. One of the key takeaways had been issues experienced by patients around digital literacy and access to remote services, which had led to a recommendation that digital access and literacy was noted on patient records. Another learning point was that face to face was the preference for younger patients as well as older patients, and that parents of infants and young children, and children and young adults, felt neglected by primary care. Some parents who were unable to get a GP appointment for a sick child chose to go to A&E, spending a lot of time there. The Board were advised that only a handful of patients were dissatisfied with their consultation with a GP, and GPs and community pharmacists were highly valued. It was clear from the interviews conducted that patients did not want to attend A&E, and Councillor Daly highlighted the importance of patients being properly educated and directed to the best services to meet their needs.

The Chair thanked Councillor Daly for the update and invited members to comment, with the following issues raised:

·         The Board asked how the recommendations had been received by primary care and how they would be taken forward. The report had been discussed in forums and been looked at from the point of view of primary care. The recommendations had been critically appraised. The Board acknowledged the impact on primary care, particularly over the past two years. The work Councillor Daly and her colleagues had done had been put at the head of all other NWL boroughs, and the Integrated Care System (ICS) was committed to developing standards across the 8 boroughs for access. A number of investments had already been made, for example a cloud based telephone service which allowed a practice to divert calls, see their peak times and increase resource at demand. Digital platforms were also in the process of being re-procured to be more user friendly, such as allowing patients whose first language was not English to translate the website. From October, each PCN would have an access hub open weekdays from 6:30am to 8pm, and Saturdays from 9am to 5pm. It was the intention of the ICS to provide a response to each recommendation, once further details on investment for primary care in the coming year came through.

·         The Board drew a parallel between the GP Access paper and the Health and Wellbeing Strategy due to be presented during the meeting, in terms of the focus on health inequalities, specifically the recommendations that access should be looked at through a lens of deprivation, ethnicity and disability.

·         The Board noted that the Community and Wellbeing Scrutiny Committee would expect a report on the progression of the recommendations in a years’ time, which should be overseen by the Health and Wellbeing Board as opposed to the Cabinet.

RESOLVED: To note the content of the report, with particular regard to the recommendations to Brent Cabinet and local NHS organisations.