Enfield Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) has decided to continue funding three "primary care access hubs" but not to commission a fourth hub to serve the north east of the borough. The hubs, which can be used by any patient registered at a practice in Enfield, provide GP services between 6.30pm and 8pm on weekdays and between 8am and 8pm at weekends.
Because weekday evening appointments have proved the most popular, the CCG is arranging to switch some appointments from Sundays to weekday evenings.
A statement about the decision was posted on the CCG's website this week (reproduced at the end of this article).
However, it is not clear whether figures for hub utilisation included in the CCG's annual report support the CCG's decision. The figures below (for May 2017) show that only just over 50 per cent of available appointments were actually used, suggesting possible inefficient use of money, and it is clear from the CCG's own statement that many patients from north east Enfield have a need for hub appointments. Instead of having a hub in a convenient location, people living in Enfield Lock, Brimsdown, Freezy Water and other locations are having to travel some distance, and no doubt some of the journeys are not easily done using public transport. A further matter of concern is the failure to identify a suitable accessible surgery in north east Enfield.
(Source: Enfield CCG Annual Report 2016/17)
Enfield primary care access service update
NHS Enfield Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) currently commissions three Primary Care Access Hubs to deliver GP and practice nurse appointments to all patients registered with a GP practice in Enfield. The hubs operate from:
- Carlton House Surgery
- Evergreen Primary Care Centre
- Woodberry Practice
Enfield CCG is pleased to confirm:
- The service is valued and has high patient satisfaction rates
- Patients from across the whole of Enfield are accessing the hubs
- Utilisation of the hubs is increasing overall with weekday evenings being the most popular with patients
Enfield CCG advised that it would review how well the three hubs were being utilised in June 2017 to decide if a hub in the north east of the borough was required. As previously confirmed in March 2017, a hub was not commissioned in the north east of the borough as an accessible surgery premises was not identified by the bidder.
This review has now been completed and a number of recommendations were considered and approved by the procurement committee at its meeting on 12 July 2017.
- Utilisation of weekday evenings is most popular and we will work with the hub providers to match increased capacity on a weekday by moving appointments not being used on Sundays to weekday evenings to improve access where the demand is highest.
- Current utilisation rates of the three hubs does not support commissioning an additional hub in the north east of the borough at this time.
- Patients registered with all thirteen practices in the north east of the borough are accessing these appointments at all three hubs, accounting for 50% of patients seen at Carlton House Surgery.
The report which was presented to the procurement committee will be published in due course.
Enfield CCG will undertake a further review of the service in December 2017 to decide if a hub in the north east of the borough is required and if there are any other changes that would improve access for Enfield residents.
(Source: www.enfieldccg.nhs.uk/news/Enfield-primary-care-access-service-update.htm)
