Posts by Tim Readman
CCG welcomes new GP Partnership in Scarborough
Published on Apr 4, 2018
(footage, above, courtesy of That’s North Yorkshire, Freeview Channel 7)
Four GP practices in Scarborough are set to merge on 9 April, benefiting around 30,000 patients.
Belgrave, Falsgrave, Peasholm and Prospect Road surgeries will come together to launch a new partnership called Central Healthcare.
The new organisation will be headed up by six GP partners, Dr Faisal Baloch, Dr Deepankar Datt, Dr Ron Diffey, Dr Simona Gheorghiu, Dr Ruth Guest and Dr Omnia Hefni.
The four surgeries will continue to operate from their current premises and patients will still be able to see the doctor they’re used to seeing, if they wish.
In time, the merger will mean patients having access to more specialist care in a surgery setting which will be brought about “from enhanced training of staff and alignment of resources to better meet the needs of patients with long term conditions”.
Speaking on behalf of the six partners, Dr Ruth Guest said: “This exciting merger will not just allow the four existing practices to survive, but will allow GP services to thrive.
“There’s enormous pressure in primary care at the moment and if we were to continue working as we were, as small isolated practices, we would struggle to provide a high quality, responsive, and safe service to patients.
“This merger gives us the opportunity to provide patients with an enhanced service which makes the best use of equipment, experience, expertise and other resources, while keeping administrative costs down.
“A larger entity should also make it easier to recruit doctors and nurses, with better training and career development on offer.”
The merger of the four practices is not resulting in any redundancies. All existing staff are being retained, though some will be undertaking different roles.
There will be a new website which will make it easier for patients to order medicines and manage appointments. The four existing websites will run alongside this for a short time until they are phased out.
Sally Brown, Primary Care Lead for NHS Scarborough and Ryedale Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), said: “The merger will bring about significant benefits for patients, including greater access to different health and social care professionals.
“There’s scope for more specialisms to be introduced, as well as additional clinics and appointment slots at evenings and weekends.
“This is a welcome step that secures the provision of GP services in Scarborough.”
Read MoreNHS Scarborough and Ryedale CCG issues cold weather alert health advice
Published on Feb 26, 2018
With weather forecasters predicting a prolonged period of cold conditions, ice and snow this week, heath chiefs in Scarborough and Ryedale are urging residents to “stay well”.
Cold weather often triggers an increase in demand for NHS services. Ice and snow can lead to an increase in slips and falls, while the cold can lead to poorer health for older people, the very young and those with an existing respiratory illness or infection.
NHS Scarborough and Ryedale Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) says there are measures we can all take to reduce the risk of cold-related ill health and keep NHS resources free for those who need them the most.
Dr Phil Garnett, chairman of NHS Scarborough and Ryedale CCG, said: “Cold weather is a mere inconvenience for many people, but for others it poses more serious health risks.
“If you have an elderly relative, friend or neighbour, it’s important to check up on them to see if they are keeping warm – ideally homes should be heated to at least 18C.
“We’re also asking people to take extra care when walking or driving during icy conditions. And if you have existing heart or lung problems, or recently had a fall, is a trip out absolutely necessary?
“If you start to feel unwell, even if it’s a cough or a cold, don’t wait until it gets more serious – seek advice from your pharmacist. If you have cold or flu, it’s best to buy medicines like paracetamol over-the-counter from your local supermarket, corner shop or pharmacy. And then stay at home, drink plenty of fluids and keep warm.
“Should you not see an improvement in your illness, get in touch with your GP practice and they should be able to offer you an appointment.
“If you’re not sure where you should go or need medical advice but it’s not an emergency, we’d always recommend dialling ‘111’ to speak with someone who can offer advice and signpost you to the most appropriate service.”
For more information and tips on staying well, please visit the campaign website.
Read MoreCustomer Service Excellence award for NHS Scarborough and Ryedale CCG
Published on Feb 26, 2018
NHS Scarborough and Ryedale Clinical Commissioning Group has secured the prestigious Customer Service Excellence Award for the third year running.
The highly-prized accreditation, awarded through the Cabinet Office, was given to the CCG following rigorous independent scrutiny against more than 50 separate criteria relating to how well the CCG engages with patients.
NHS Scarborough and Ryedale CCG scored “compliance plus” in 12 areas and was judged to be “compliant” in a further 42 areas.
The report published by the Customer Service Excellence Body shows continual improvement with more “compliance plus” awarded to the CCG than ever before.
Sally Brown, Associate Director of Corporate Affairs for NHS Scarborough and Ryedale CCG said: “We are thrilled to have received the Customer Service Excellence award for the third year running – it’s testament to the hard work we put in to ensure the priorities and needs of our patients are considered as part of the process to commission local health services.
“It’s particularly pleasing that CSE assessors have recognised our efforts to consult, listen and engage with residents from a range of backgrounds.”
Andy Hudson, NHS Scarborough and Ryedale CCG Governing Body Lay Member and chairman of the CCG’s Communications and Engagement Committee, added: “We are extremely proud to have secure the Customer Service Excellence accolade for the third time and it’s particularly pleasing to have done it with more ‘compliance plus’ marks than ever. It’s huge credit to our staff and shows how much we value patient input in the decision-making process.”
In their evaluation, CSE assessors praised NHS Scarborough and Ryedale CCG for the commitment to putting patients first and the ethos of openness focused around delivering services that patients and communities want and in ways that best suit their needs.
Assessors also credited the CCG for “identifying the needs of disadvantaged groups and to commission appropriate services”, with mental health service users, the LGBT community, young people and older people’s forums among the groups actively engaged by commissioners in the last year.
Read MoreNHS Scarborough and Ryedale CCG backs Stay Well Pharmacy campaign
Published on Feb 26, 2018
NHS Scarborough and Ryedale Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) is backing a national campaign to encourage people to make more use of their local pharmacy to free up GP time for sicker patients and potentially save the NHS around £850 million a year.
Stay Well Pharmacy is a campaign from NHS England which encourages people, especially parents and carers of children under the age of five, to visit their local pharmacy team first for clinical advice for minor health concerns such as sore throats, coughs, colds, tummy troubles, teething and aches and pains.
Dr Greg Black, NHS Scarborough and Ryedale CCG’s clinical lead for medicine, said: “Pharmacists are available to provide expert health advice and in most cases are conveniently located and easy to access within local communities.
“Pharmacists are able to provide help in managing minor illnesses and give health and wellbeing advice, so they are a useful person to see for minor health concerns.”
Community pharmacists and pharmacy technicians are qualified healthcare professionals who are the right people to see if you need clinical advice or over the counter medicines to help safely manage a wide range of minor health concerns.
Pharmacists are trained in managing minor illness and can assess symptoms and recommend the best course of treatment or simply provide reassurance, for instance when a minor illness will get better on its own with a few days’ rest. And if symptoms suggest it’s something more serious, they have the right clinical training to ensure people get the help they need.
With most people living within easy reach of a pharmacy and with many pharmacies offering extended opening hours in the evenings and at weekends, pharmacy teams offer fast and convenient clinical support with no appointment needed. Most community pharmacies (over 90%) now offer a private consultation room, suitable for a confidential conversation, should it be requested.
Using a pharmacy for minor health concerns will help free up GP time for more urgent appointments and help reduce non-emergency A&E visits.
Search www.nhs.uk/staywellpharmacy for more information and to help you find your nearest NHS pharmacy services and opening hours.
Read MoreDecommissioning of gluten free prescriptions for adult patients in Scarborough and Ryedale
From 1 April 2017, NHS Scarborough and Ryedale Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) no longer supports the prescribing of gluten free products to adult patients.
New guidance reflects the changes.
In 2015, the NHS spent £26 million on prescribing gluten free food with £16.7 million spent on 840,000 prescriptions for bread. The current cost of prescribing gluten free products in Scarborough and Ryedale is around £60,000 a year.
The decision to withdraw support for gluten free prescriptions for patients aged 18 and over follows an engagement exercise carried out by the CCG, which resulted in detailed feedback from Coeliac UK and the British Society of Gastroenterology. The CCG also took into consideration the 89 responses to an online survey and 17 responses gathered through face-to-face engagement, more than half of which were from coeliac sufferers.
Dr Greg Black, Governing Body member and Prescribing Lead for the CCG, said: “We would like to thank everyone who responded to the CCG survey and in particularly Coeliac UK who helped ensure the voices of local people with coeliac disease were heard.
“Having taken into consideration all of the feedback we received, along with the evidence available to us, we took the decision to stop prescribing gluten free products to adult patients, mainly due to the significant increase in the quality, variety and availability of gluten free products in supermarkets and via home delivery services.
“We also recognised that the NHS does not provide food on prescription for other groups of patients who have conditions which might be affected by the type of food they eat.
“While we know this decision will not be popular among patients who currently receive gluten free foods on prescription, the CCG’s duty is to manage budgets effectively and take commissioning decisions on behalf of the whole population in our area.”
The CCG will continue to support the prescribing of a small range of gluten free food products to those aged under 18, who have a confirmed coeliac disease diagnosis.
The gluten free products that can be prescribed to those under the age of 18 are:
- Bread (loaves only – not rolls, wraps or other bread products)
- Flour (not flour mix or bread mix)
- Pasta
If a patient has been diagnosed with coeliac disease, they must continue to follow a strict gluten free diet. The CCG recommends patients stick to foods that are naturally gluten free rather than specialist products that have been manufactured to be gluten free. Rice and potatoes are examples of foods that are naturally gluten free that can also be cheap to purchase. It remains important to have a well-balanced diet.
Coeliac UK produces a helpful food and drink directory, which is available free to members (or £10 to non-members). Following the Eatwell Plate model for balanced eating will provide a gluten free diet without need for any specialist dietary foods. This encourages choosing naturally gluten free carbohydrate containing foods as part of a healthy, balanced diet.
Coeliac UK provides useful information on all aspects of the disease, including a directory of gluten free foods and drinks: www.coeliac.org.uk
The NHS website also has useful information about coeliac disease and treatment: www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Coeliac-disease/Pages/Treatment.aspx
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