Gosport MP Visits Same Day Access Service

  Local MP Caroline Dinenage met with Same Day Access Service staff at Gosport War Memorial Hospital on Friday. The Same Day Access Service has recently been launched in Gosport and runs from a hub at Gosport War Memorial Hospital. It is currently being resourced by staff from four participating GP practices. Patients registered with; Waterside (Mumby Road), Stoke Road, Brune (Rowner Road) and Forton (Whites Place) can access telephone triage and face-to-face appointments on the same day.     Dr Donal Collins, GP lead for Better Local Care, Gethin Hughes, Director of Services (Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust) and Kerry Cooper, Better Local Care General Manager were able to show Caroline was able to see how the service operates. Caroline also spoke to Dr Sarah Brooks, GP partner at Forton Medical Centre, who clearly explained the pressures and challenges facing GP practices in Gosport and how working in this new way is starting to alleviate these. Speaking after the visit, Caroline said: “I have received correspondence regarding waiting times for GP appointments so it was great to see the difference that the Same Day Access Service is already starting to make for Gosport constituents. It is encouraging to see GP practices working together to tackle the frustration for people having to wait for GP appointments, whilst improving the quality and experience of care.  I hope that more surgeries make the move to join this successful same-day appointment pilot, and make it more sustainable for the future.” Calls in January to the Same Day service led to 665 GP, 694 nurse, 152 paediatric and 94 physiotherapy appointments.  For more information about the Same Day Access Service please visit http:///www.betterlocalcare.org.uk/.