184,000 patients in aid calls

Shropshire's GP out-of-hours medical service handled 184,000 patient calls last year, new figures revealed today.

The Shropdoc co-operative treated 54,000 patients, either at one of its primary care centres or in the patient's own home.

Within the Shropshire County Primary Care Trust area - excluding Telford & Wrekin - it dealt with 75,000 calls for medical help and treated 19,700 patients.

The figures are contained in briefing papers from Shropdoc general manager, Graham Fell, ahead of a presentation he is making to the county council's watchdog health overview and scrutiny panel next Tuesday.

Mr Fell says that during the year the service received 21 complaints relating to the Shropshire PCT area and 36 compliments.

"Shropdoc is now operational in one form or another 24 hours a day, 365 days a year," he says.

"Although our service is provided by local GPs - we do not use any deputising services - we also employ 30 experienced primary care nurses to support our triage process."

Shropdoc covers a patient population of about 750,000 across Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin, Powys, Wrexham and parts of south Staffordshire.

It currently provides a service to 14 community hospitals and support to nine minor injury units as well as two prisons and six Army and RAF bases.

In addition it handles calls and triage for the out-of-hours dental service and a bed bureau function for GP admissions to the Royal Shrewsbury and Princess Royal hospitals.

New developments include a trial scheme in which Shropdoc nurses are working alongside an A&E department to deal with primary care cases that are not appropriate for a casualty unit.

A new drugs management system will also allow Shropdoc to readily access controlled drugs for palliative care patients.

By Dave Morris