Agenda item

Leicester City Clinical Commissioning Group to submit a report  detailing the approach to delivering the General Practice Forward View (GPFV) in Leicester City and how delivering this national work links to the development of the Sustainability and Transformation Plan delivery across Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland.

Leicester City Clinical Commissioning Group submitted a report detailing the approach to delivering the General Practice Forward View (GPFV) in Leicester City and how delivering this national work links to the development of the Sustainability and Transformation Plan delivery across Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland.

Leicester City Clinical Commissioning Group submitted a report detailing the approach to delivering the General Practice Forward View (GPFV) in Leicester City and how delivering this national work links to the development of the Sustainability and Transformation Plan delivery across Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland.

The Director of Operations and Corporate Affairs presented the report and the following comments were noted:-

a)         Access to primary care was still a concern to patients in the city and the CCG had met the national milestone of 50% of the public having access to week-end and evening GP appointments by March 2018.  The 3 hubs at Westcotes, Belgrave and Saffron had provided 1,300 extra appointments a week equivalent to an additional 135 hours.  The hubs were operating at 95% but there was a noticeable drop off in demand on Sunday afternoons.  The CCG were continuing to work with GPs to have extended access in all 59 practices.

b)         There was continued local recruitment for GPs which recently appointed 11 new GP.  The second phase of the recruitment in May had resulted in a further 4 new GPs and expressions of interest from others.  A further initiative to recruit from overseas based upon pilot scheme in Lincolnshire was planned.  There were 9 clinical pharmacists 9 working in GP practices. The local NHS England target was to recruit an additional 25 GPs in the city by 2020.  As 25% of GPs were currently over 55 years old, retention of existing GPs was also important.

c)         A toolkit looking at all models of care and case studies from elsewhere, was being developed.  A second edition of the toolkit was going live later in year but some practices were already moving forward.

d)         The CCG had re-invested more than £500k from existing funds to bring the base line for GP practices in Leicester up to and above the national minimum level of funding of £85 per patient.  It had also recycled approximately £2m of funding from within its existing budgets to provide additional funding for primary care services in Leicester.  £200k has also been made available for training in primary care. 

Following questions from Members the following response were received:-

a)         The Merlyn Vaz Centre had been a walk Centre for the last 8-9 years and had now been procured as 4^th hub.  It would however be different  as it would offer a walk in facility and also a new pre-booked focus with the aim of increasing the pre- booked appointments.

b)         The CCG would aim to replace gaps in GPs services as and when established practices closed.  Some practices were currently understaffed, but the CCG had no powers to direct staffing levels in existing GP practices as this was the responsibility of the individual GP.

c)         The CCG Tried to encourage continuity of care and encourage more GPs to be employed by individual practices in preference to locums who move around several practices, although some GPs preferred to be a locum.  All hubs and GP practices had access to a common computer system so they all the ability to see a patients full record.  Training was provided on safeguarding issues and every practice has a safeguarding lead.

d)         It was recognised that new GPs wanted a portfolio career often involving 3 days in a GP practice and 1 day in a university or hospital setting.  The CCG were working with all involved to assist the development of this offer for new GPs.  The CCG had also made podcasts of new GPs who had been following this portfolio approach to promote the system and proactively promote their experiences and the benefits of working in Leicester.

e)         It was not known if the reduction of appointments in the hubs on a Sunday afternoon had resulted in increased activity at A&E or a spike on Monday mornings in GP practices. 

f)          The University had altered their undergraduate course and students now spent more time in GP practices as part of the training. 

RESOLVED:

That the report be received and that a monitoring report be submitted on a quarterly basis.