£6.5m push to make it easier to see a GP

INVESTING in GPs... Dr Bal Duper, Clinical Director of NHS Oldham CC

A NEW £6.5 million investment in Oldham GPs will make it easier for patients in the borough to see their doctor when needed.

NHS Oldham Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) is to save money elsewhere to be able to improve the GP visiting experience.

The CCG’s clinical director, Dr Bal Duper said: “We’ve been listening to the experiences of patients. It hasn’t been a surprise that many people have struggled to get an appointment This is a national problem.”

Dr Duper, a GP in Greenfield and Mossley, continued: “If patients can’t get in to see their GP it can lead to pressures elsewher -, clogging up A&E and out-of-hours services for example.”

The group aims for each prescribing clinician - including GPs - to offer a minimum of 70 appointments for each 1,000 patients a week, to be spread across the day with no lunchtime closures. Bookable appointments will be available a minimum of six weeks in advance.

Children under five, with acute and urgent problems, will have same-day contact with a prescribing clinician when needed.