Dear Patient Group

You are warmly invited to an additional Patient Group meeting which we are holding on Monday December 2nd 2024 at 5pm on Zoom. At our last meeting on 23rd September 2024 we discussed collective action, and were pleased to have had an honest discussion about the issues and gain the support of the majority of the group present. (There is more about the Background on Collective Action at the end of this email.)

If you would like to be sent the Zoom link to attend please email to adminsmp@nhs.net by 3.30pm on Monday 2nd December 2024

Meeting agenda:

>>Update on changes we have made so far (as discussed at the September PRG meeting)

>>Discussion on the next changes we wish to implement, which are:

1. Supporting Leeds Teaching Hospitals Trust to implement electronic prescribing
2. Prioritising continuity of care for certain patient groups, by starting to "cap" our acute (ie "same day") work

 We appreciate that (2) above may prompt understandable concern. To keep workload safe & sustainable as we head into the busy winter period, and only after much consideration, we feel we must now take this step: switching up the number of routine appointments in which we provide continuity of routine and proactive care for those patients that need it most. We can only achieve this by switching down the time we spend on our "same day service" by implementing a daily "cap" on it.

 What patient groups benefit most from continuity of routine and proactive care? For example: A person with a worsening of a known condition, people living with multiple long term conditions, people with complex care needs, people receiving palliative care, people with active suicidal ideation, babies & children age up to 12 where appropriate.

 What would capping the same day service actually mean on a daily basis? It would mean that once we reach capacity for that morning or that afternoon, some patients with acute issues may be directed to other services or asked to contact us another day if it is appropriate. [Currently, all patients who contact us with issues that we consider "acute", get a same day response.]

 What will stay the same? Our Appointment Hub team will continue to read all incoming online forms and our patient Support Team will continue to answer all incoming phone calls. We will not "switch off" online forms. This is so we can signpost patients appropriately, and so that we can continue to provide advice and care in situations which may be critical or for patients who need continuity of care.

 In the meeting there will be the opportunity to hear more about the why and how behind this difficult situation, to ask questions and raise concerns. We are keen to hear your views.

 We hope to see you there.

Best wishes, Camilla Hawkes (Managing Partner) and Dr Natasha Gordon (GP Partner, and Patient Involvement Lead)

Background on Collective Action at St Martin's Practice

General Practice is under resourced. More patients want appointments than we can supply. In a vote organised by the BMA British Medical Association earlier in the year, English GPs voted overwhelmingly in favour of taking collective action. The BMA is encouraging practices to choose from a list of ten actions: practices can choose to implement as few or as many as they think appropriate. The actions have one thing in common: they all involve General Practice declining to carry out work which it is not funded to do ie they are not part of General Practice's NHS contract. For many years, GP has "picked up" such work. At St Martins, in common with many other practices nationally, we have already implemented some changes.

Information for the general public from NHS England: NHS England » GP collective action – patient information

Information from the BMA British Medical Association: GP contract 2024/25 changes (bma.org.uk)