Calderdale GPs launch scheme to ease winter pressures

The scheme will run on Saturday afternoons over the winter period when practices experience highest demand due to seasonal illnesses.

It starts on Saturday, December 6 and runs for 21 weeks until Saturday, April 25, 2015.

The scheme has come about as a result of practices in NHS Calderdale Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) working together to run and staff GP Hubs, which will provide a primary care service within localities to support increased demand for urgent care.

GP and lead for Urgent Care for NHS Calderdale CCG, Dr Majid Azeb said: “We know that winter is a busy period when the demand for urgent care services increases, and the Saturday scheme will support this increased demand.

“The main advantage of the service is that with patient consent, the GP or clinician they see will have access to their medical history so will be instantly able to see what medication they are taking and what exiting conditions they may have. The Saturday scheme will also be providing a service closer to the patient’s home.”

Patients can only access this service by ringing NHS 111, before being booked an appointment at the appropriate Hub if they need to see a GP.

While only five surgeries throughout Calderdale will be open, all practices will be participating in the scheme.