Issue - meetings

To receive the report on the option for re-designing unscheduled care services in Haringey.

The Committee received the report on unscheduled care (any unplanned contact with the NHS by a person) and a presentation by Dr Klynman (Consultant in Public Health) on accident and emergency (A&E) data from North Middlesex and Whittington Hospital from April 2007 to December 2008.  The Committee noted that the majority of patients self-referred to A&E and large numbers of people were discharged from A&E without follow-up, many of these could have been seen elsewhere; only 5% visited their GP prior to A&E attendance.

The Committee recognised that the areas where there were high numbers of unregistered patients were also areas with high levels of rented or sheltered accommodation and in response Dr Klynman highlighted that a less complex system of registering with GPs was required for those in deprived areas who did not understand how to access GP services.

The Committee were informed that there was a lack of understanding by local people about how to access GP services and a need to refer them back into primary care.  All GPs were required to provide emergency appointments but people were not aware of when to call GP surgeries for those emergency appointments and this often resulted in them going to A&E, which was not cost effective.

Councillor Egan (in attendance) questioned the future of the walk-in clinic in light of the fact that attendance was low.  Mr Slater emphasised that people were still going to A&E where the walk-in centres were more appropriate and a more cost effective way for a patient to be seen and treated by a physician as well as assisted with GP registration.  The Committee had concerns that walk-in centres did not provide the same porter service that was found in A&E and so people with disabilities were more likely to go to A&E.

RESOLVED

That the report be noted.