Initiative cuts patient queues in rural areas

Four GP practices joined the project last April to find ways to help patients see the most appropriate medical expert as soon as possible.

One year into the partnership between Durham Dales Primary Care Trust and the National Primary Care Collaborative, the trust has hit national waiting time targets for the first time.

The four practices involved: Bishopgate Medical Centre, in Bishop Auckland, Willington Medical Group, Barnard Castle Surgery and North House Surgery, in Crook; have each created a team of staff to work on the scheme.

The Durham dales trust is the only one in County Durham to meet a national target to offer patients a routine appointment with a GP within 48 hours and with a primary care professional within 24 hours.

Andrew Kenworthy, chief executive of the trust, said he was delighted with the progress of the scheme, adding: "The key challenge is now to sustain the targets for the next quarter."

The groups have been working closely with the trust's access facilitator, Alison Ayres, to introduce systems to help patients access services.

Booking procedures have already been modified and patients have been consulted over other improvements that have been piloted.

Mrs Ayres said: "One of the key priorities for the primary care trust is to improve access for people in the Durham dales to primary care.

"As patients do not have to wait days to see their GP, fewer people fail to attend, which means fewer appointments are wasted. Doctors can also see more patients more quickly, cutting waiting times. GP practices are very enthusiastic about the project and it is set to be very successful."

The project is about to be introduced in five more GP practices: Evenwood Surgery, the Weardale Practice, in Stanhope, Auckland Medical Group, Station View Medical Group, and Middleton-in-Teesdale Surgery.

The primary care trust plans to extend the scheme into all GP practices in the Durham dales.