Doctor says Shrewsbury GP hub is an opportunity they must not risk losing

Dr Matthew Fallon, GP Partner at Claremont Bank Surgery, has issued a passionate letter outlining his backing for the proposed Shrewsbury Health and Wellbeing Hub – as well as voicing concerns about the future of the profession.

The hub is a proposal from NHS Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin, which would see six of Shrewsbury's GP practices relocate to a new premises.

The plan has met with opposition from some local politicians, and concerns from residents – primarily over its location.

A site in Meole Brace had been proposed but local NHS bosses agreed to look at other options after the concerns were raised – a process that is ongoing.

The hub would be home to six practices – The Beeches Medical Practice, Belvidere Medical Practice, Claremont Bank Surgery, Marden Medical Practice, Marysville Medical Practice and South Hermitage Surgery.

Under the plan all would have their own reception areas within the building, which would also be able to host additional clinicians such as advanced practitioners, first contact physios, pharmacists and social prescribers, as well as support staff.

Dr Fallon spoke of the pressures on general practice – largely due to a rise in the number of patients and a decline in the number of GPs, as well as negativity from frustrated patients towards staff.

He explained how the situation is impacting his own practice.

He said: "At our practice we have space for 190 appointments each day, 950 appointments each week. However, demand for these can easily be two-fold and by Monday, approximately half of the appointments for the week (between 420 and 475) are usually already booked.

"Dealing with the negativity is an ongoing problem. We are concerned about losing more staff – our receptionists are tired of being shouted at. They can’t magically make time appear for me or my colleagues. We are genuinely trying to help, and just as frustrated as patients are. Prioritisation, telephone consultations, four-week non-urgent bookings are a necessity rather than a choice.

"As it stands, if you really need to see a GP within a day or two, you will. But if it can wait, then sadly it must. We need to make appointments available for those who are in greatest need, and our receptionists are trained as care navigators to ensure people are seen when needed. "

Dr Fallon said the situation was why practices want to be part of the hub project.

He said: "There are many good reasons why our practice feels this is the only way forward for us, and I know this is the case for many of my colleagues within the five other practices. To deal with increased demand and long term, complex conditions we need to provide specialists who can focus on co-ordinated, person-centred care as well as better continuity of care.

"The Shrewsbury Health and Wellbeing Hub would be large enough to accommodate additional clinicians such as advanced practitioners, first contact physios, pharmacists and social prescribers in addition to support staff to manage the increase in clinical workload.

"This, as well as integrated neighbourhood teams, would enable shared learning between professionals and could improve not only the medical but also the lifestyle and social factors which impact on a person’s wellbeing."

The GP also rejected suggestions that the individual practices would be swallowed up by the hub, losing their identity in the process.

He said: "This isn’t a merger, but it will be a big help to be in the same building as other practices. We will retain our own identities, have separate reception spaces for check-in and waiting rooms, plus the building will be light, spacious and easy to navigate for our patients."

He also spoke of how the move would eradicate concerns for current GP partners about the physical state of their own surgeries, and the costly need for maintenance.

He said: "The hub would also mean releasing the financial burden and worry of maintaining our own GP buildings, sharing estates cost, maintenance and upkeep. We’ll also be in a far better position to attract staff to work within state-of-the-art facilities and with modern equipment. Many young doctors prefer not to be tied into the financial stresses of being a GP partner, so the hub would enable us to recruit with far greater ease."

He added: "Not only is this a real opportunity to be part of a much-needed shift in General Practice, but it will also provide us with the chance to become pioneers of a new ownership model and to drive change for the better.

"The hub will mean better integration of health and wellbeing services – all under one roof – and it could provide our town with an opportunity to create a centre of excellence, a beacon for the future of NHS property development in England."

Dr Fallon said that above all it was important to get to a place where GPs have time to provide the care they need for patients.

He said: "Despite all of this, my vision for the future of General Practice is simple. It feels like we don’t have time to fully care for our patients anymore. A quick 10-minute appointment, and then onto the next. I’d like to get to the point where we can meaningfully cater for our patients in a personalised way, looking at the whole person and all that comes with that.

"I also want to work within a setting that caters for the whole community, with GP colleagues retaining that integral role as family doctor – something that attracted many of us to the profession in the first place. That’s my ideal. I see this as our opportunity to take now, and we can’t risk losing it."