GPs wanted to support NHS 111 patients and reduce demand on NHS services

North East Ambulance Service (NEAS) is offering General Practitioners the chance to work within its clinical hub in order to provide a better service to patients and reduce the demand on the emergency care system.

Every year the service answers over one million emergency 999 and NHS 111 calls, responds to over 300,000 incidents that resulted in a patient being taken to hospital, treats and discharges up to 20,000 patients with telephone advice as well as more than 80,000 patients discharged at home.  Emergency care crews reach over 100,000 incidents within the national target of eight minutes.

The clinical hub provides enhanced clinical support to call handlers and patients. Clinicians working in the hub offer access to a range of healthcare professionals and clinical assessment to patients who have contacted the NHS 111 service.

NEAS is now expanding this service to offer 111 patients the support of a General Practitioner to provide professional advice over the phone. This service has the potential to decrease the demand on the emergency, primary and secondary services. For example, an NHS 111 caller who requires advice from a GP could be treated and discharged over the phone avoiding the need to attend another service.

This opportunity will give GPs the chance to develop their skills and influence the development of the region’s urgent and emergency care re-design. GPs in the hub will work collaboratively with a range of healthcare professionals including Nurses, Paramedics and Advanced Practitioners.

GP Dr Mathew Beattie, Urgent Care Medical Director at NEAS, said: “This expansion will give GPs the opportunity to work with paramedics, nurses and a range of healthcare professionals outside of the normal GP environment to share learning and experiences. Having GPs in our Operations Centre has the potential to offer a much smoother experience to healthcare over the telephone or referral to another NHS provider in a timely manner. The future of urgent and emergency care is in greater integration of skills and services, like this.“

NEAS is currently offering GP opportunities to work within its Operations Centre at Newburn Riverside, Newcastle upon Tyne, and Hebburn, South Tyneside, with the potential to work remotely in the future. The GP service will be available to patients in the out of hours period therefore we are seeking GPs who can support us weeknight evenings, overnight and at weekends.

Dr Beattie added: “As a regional provider, NEAS is at the heart of implementing the urgent and emergency care review, working in close partnership with the wider NHS across the North East to deliver a seamless urgent and emergency care service. We already deliver effective and high performing 111 and 999 services. Our ambition is to lead the way in the design and delivery of urgent and emergency care, utilising the clinical hub as the driver for improved demand management. ”