HEALTH AND CARE: Find out more about plans to improve care

This includes three urgent treatment centres in Coastal West Sussex, GP access hubs and a new visiting service out of hours.

These services will work together to help you be seen by the most appropriate healthcare professional by the most appropriate service.

All you will need to do if you need NHS help urgently will be to call your GP practice or NHS 111 and they will be able to book you an appointment at your own practice, or advise where you can be seen, if they can’t help you over the phone.

The team at NHS 111 will be able to directly book appointments at the three urgent treatment centres and the GP access hubs, so you will have a fixed time and you will know when you are going to be seen.

The urgent treatment centres will also be walk in for anyone that is not sure where to go or who to call.

In line with national requirements, we have to go through a procurement process for the new contract for this local service.

Providers will be able to submit a proposal to take on the running of the GP access hubs, urgent treatment centres and the visiting service.

We expect that this process will take place over the summer and we will have a provider, or a partnership of providers, agreed by September so we can start to work with them to launch these services.

There will be a number of events over the coming weeks and months where you can come and meet the team and find out more about our plans and ask any questions you may have.

Come and see us to tell us your views:

• Monday, May 14, at Westgate Leisure Centre in Chichester from 9.30am to 12.30pm.

• Tuesday, May 15, at Worthing Northbrook College from midday to 2pm (students only).

• Tuesday, May 22, at Worthing Library from 10am to midday.

• Monday, June 4, at Tesco in Pulborough from 2pm to 4pm.

• Thursday, June 7, at Chichester Library from 10am to midday.

• Tuesday, June 26, at Tesco in Bognor Regis from 10am to midday.

More dates will be added, so keep an eye on our website – www.coastalwestsussexccg.nhs.uk

You can also let us know you views by email: [email protected], or by post: Let’s Talk, NHS Coastal West Sussex CCG, FREEPOST SEA1064, The Causeway, Goring by Sea, West Sussex, BN12 6BT.

If you have any further questions, big or small, about this work, please get in touch.

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Our plans in summary:

• Improve access to urgent GP appointments

During the day GP practices will offer appointments in the normal way, but when they close GP access hubs will provide pre-bookable urgent appointments up to 8pm to 10pm at night during the week, and at clinics on a Saturday and Sunday.

• Improve where people go for minor illness and injuries

Currently, there is a minor injuries unit at Bognor Regis War Memorial Hospital that is open during the week, and a minor injuries service at the Park Surgery in Littlehampton. Outside of these services, and when they are closed, people go to A&E in Worthing or Chichester. We plan to open three urgent treatment centres – one at Worthing Hospital, one at St Richard’s Hospital and one at Bognor Regis War Memorial Hospital – offering booked appointments as well as walk-in appointments.

• Improve the way people access services

These changes would be supported by an improved system where people can contact their GP practice or NHS 111 and be assessed over the phone. They will then be booked an appointment or signposted to the right place for the care they need.

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