GP appointments: Sheffield NHS bosses explain how they want to make it easier to see a doctor

Getting to see a family doctor has emerged as the public’s priority for future improvements after NHS officials launched a consultation across South Yorkshire, and drafted a five year plan – the ‘NHS Five Year Joint Forward Plan’ for South Yorkshire.

The plans are NHS South Yorkshire’s forward look at what is most important for keeping people healthy and making sure everyone has equal access to health care across Sheffield, Rotherham, Barnsley and Doncaster.

NHS South Yorkshire ran a consultation last year asking residents: ‘What Matters to You about your Health and Wellbeing?’ and used the findings for the plan’s content. Over 2,500 responded.

The new document states: “Access to and quality of services were identified as what matters most to people in South Yorkshire and a key priority in our plan is to improve access to primary care, with particular emphasis on General Practice...”

Plans outlined in the document say the local NHS will look to create ‘integrated neighbourhood teams’, with more types of health workers, to increase the number of appointments available to patients in a ‘GP setting’. It also says they will improve training available for health workers in a way they think will encourage them to remain in post in South Yorkshire.

And it states: “Our plans for services and workforce growth could be limited by the restrictions of some of our premises, to try to avoid this we will look to innovative ways of providing access to and delivery of services. We will promote the NHS App and ‘digital’ consultations with a GP or the most appropriate professional, building on existing developments in our places.”

Concern over parking costs

The consultation found people want to be able to access care services in a timely and convenient way, particularly for GP services. They also raised concerns over costs in health related transport and parking, as well as the cost of medication and healthy food. And people said they want to be in control of their own care and better information.

The ‘NHS Five Year Joint Forward Plan’ has been developed by NHS South Yorkshire, working with the region’s hospitals, local councils and voluntary, community and social enterprise organisations. They have now stated seven areas of focus in the plan.

They are: Improving maternity services and services for children and young people; Improving access to primary care (GPs, pharmacists, optometrists and dentists); Improving access and transforming mental health services; Transforming community services; Recovering urgent and emergency care including developing alternatives to A&E; Recovering and optimising cancer, elective and diagnostic pathways; Improving access and redesigning specialist services for those with learning disabilities and autism.

Gavin Boyle, Chief Executive at NHS South Yorkshire said: “On average people in South Yorkshire live shorter lives and spend more years in poor health than other parts of the country. There are differences in the experience of health and care services and health outcomes for some of our communities which are unfair and must be tackled. This plan seeks to do this.”

“The recovery of health services following the pandemic will continue to be a priority, so that local people can access the care and support they need in a timely way. However, we will put greater emphasis on working alongside our neighbourhoods to promote good health and prevent illness.

“We will also further develop services in our communities adopting innovative ways to provide care closer to home and reduce avoidable admissions to hospital care for both physical and mental illness. We are listening to our partners and our communities and we will continue to develop our plan in response,” he added.

You can read more about the priorities in the full report and summary version on the NHS South Yorkshire website. Email [email protected] by the end of July to comment.