Seamless working between GP Practices, Primary Care Networks (PCN) and secondary care, including A&E, mental and physical health services in Bassetlaw, is helping patients access the right care at the right time.
The model, adopted by the Newgate and Larwood and Bawtry PCNs, its GP practices and Bassetlaw Hospital has been in place August 2023 and also by Retford & Villages PCN at Retford Hospital since September 2023.
Following a recent visit to see the system in action, Dr Kathy McLean, Chair of NHS Nottingham & Nottinghamshire Integrated Care Board described it as “a potential blueprint for future ways of working” and “a wonderful example of patient-centred integrated care”.
Under the system, patients of practices attached to either of the PCNs are able to access urgent GP appointments, either by contacting their practice directly or by streaming through from either the Emergency Department or through NHS 111. The service supports the Derbyshire Health United urgent nursing service with medical oversight and provides an acute respiratory infection (ARI) hub model at times of high demand.
Patients contacting the practice over the phone can be channelled to the hospital-based GP service, rather than seen at the Practice, particularly if their need is more likely to need hospital services after the GP appointment.
The service operates weekdays during the day providing a seamless link between GP, nursing urgent care and mental health services, with streaming from A&E at Worksop & co-location planned.
A separate PCN hub at the Retford Hospital site was established in September 2023 and has focussed on frail patients, with a view to hospital admission prevention and an urgent care service, again following an Acute Respiratory Infection Hub model, but with a wider range of presenting conditions to support system resilience.
The two hubs provide just under 1,000 appointments per month between them.
Dr McLean said: “It was great to see a seamless service which has been developed entirely with the needs of its local population in mind, only possible thanks to hard work, trust and co-operation across the system. It’s a wonderful example of patient-centred integrated care, which I see as a potential blueprint for future ways of working in other parts of Nottingham and Nottinghamshire.”