South Cambrideshire NHS Primary Care Trust
GP Out of Hours Services
From 1st April 2004, practices will be contracted to provide services for nationally agreed core hours (8 am - 6:30 pm Monday to Friday). Whilst the contract came into force on 1st April, the PCT has until 31st December 2004 to take over responsibility for providing out of hours cover for practices. We have agreed locally that our target date for taking over responsibility for Out of Hours services will be 1st September 2004.
How are out of hours services provided currently?
At the moment, GPs are responsible for ensuring the provision of out of hours GP services, as well as for providing that service. Locally, GPs work together in a co-operative to cover each other's out-of-hours calls. In the majority of cases locally this is via Cambridge Doctors on Call (CAMDOC), although some practices such as the Linton practice are members of Suffolk Doctors on Call (SuffDOC).
So what's changing?
From the patient's perspective, there is little change. CAMDOC and SuffDOC will continue to provide the same service that they currently provide. Individual practices may make some changes to Saturday morning services over the next few months. A practice may decide to continue holding Saturday morning surgeries, but will not be commissioned by the PCT to do so.
We are currently in discussions about commissioning CAMDOC and SuffDOC to continue to provide a service after 1st September during the following times:
- Weekdays: 18:30 to 08:00 the following day
- Weekends: 18:30 on Friday to 08:00 on the following Monday
- Public Holidays: All national public holidays including Christmas and the New Year (18:30 the evening prior to the holiday period through to 08:00 the morning after the end of the holiday period)
In the meantime, patients will continue to access services by calling their own surgery number where they will be redirected to CAMDOC or SuffDOC depending on which co-operative their practice belongs to.
Patient Choice.
This national initiative is focussing initially on two main priorities:
Choice @ 6 Months:
By the summer of 2004, all patients who have waited six months for surgery and who do not have a firm date for their operation before seven months will be offered the choice of moving to another hospital or provider.
Choice @ Referral:
From December 2005, all patients who need planned (elective surgery) will be offered the choice of four or five hospitals (or other appropriate providers) at referral.
You can visit the Department of Health website for the latest information on Choice at www.doh.gov.uk/choiceconsultation