Waterside PCN Urgent Care Hub goes live this week!
This week our much anticipated change to same day urgent care will take place.
After much planning, and several engagement meetings, all three practice within the Waterside PCN will be combining their same day urgent care under one roof at Hythe Hospital in the new Waterside PCN Urgent Care Hub. It is all part of our solution to trying to improve access at the home practices (see here).
How will the Urgent Care Hub Work?
It will operate during routine working hours – 8am – 6.30pm (Mon-Fri).
It is a booked appointment only service
It is run by a combination of Minor Illness Nurses, Nurse Practitioners, Paramedics, GP Registrars and GPs, from all three GP practices.
The service will be overseen by a Consultant GP – usually one of the GP Partners.
Who will be seen?
As its name suggests, this is for urgent care that needs same day attention (e.g. Coughs, colds, infections, minor injuries, and recent onset problems). This service will not be for follow-up appointments or for the management of ongoing existing conditions that need to be managed properly back in your practice. Our reception staff have been fully trained to know where to book you. It’s is one of the reasons why our reception staff need to know the reason for your appointment request.
Who will I see?
There will be a combination of skill sets at the Hub, with many Nurses and Advanced Nurse Practitioners being able to prescribe alongside the doctors. The staff at the hub will allocate patients accordingly.
Will you have access to my full records?
We have full access to your GP clinical record exactly as if you we’re being seen in your own practice.
Why are you changing urgent care?
For those who did not attend the engagement meetings or our Patient Participation meetings where we introduced the concept and got patient feedback, the reason for the Urgent Care Hub is to try and free up rooms and resources back at our practices. Using an economy of scale to provide same day care, and by using rooms at Hythe Hospital, it will free up both staff and rooms in our own practice. As we employ dedicated Urgent Care Hub staff over time, this will translate as more available appointments in practices.
For now, in the early stages, this will be current urgent care staff relocating to a new site, but over the next year, and into the future, we will steadily reap the rewards.
We hope that you will work with as we get this exciting new project off the ground.