Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin ICB urges patients to come forward for care during GP collective action

With news that General Practice (GP) nationwide will be taking collective action from today (Thursday 1 August 2024), health leaders from across the local health and care system are asking the public to continue to come forward for care as usual.

Although not classed as industrial (strike) action, GP collective action is anticipated to disrupt services within General Practice and across the wider health system, including hospital services and community pharmacy. 

Partners across the Integrated Care System (ICS) are working closely together to manage the situation and respond accordingly. We would like to reassure patients and residents that we will be monitoring the situation closely so that every step can be taken to ensure care continues to be delivered safely and that patient needs continue to be met.

Important information:

Patients are advised that General Practices across the county are still open and seeing patients, however some may be directing patients to other local health services. Appointments can still be booked through GP practices and all patients are advised to still attend a scheduled healthcare appointment unless otherwise advised.

Please continue to use the healthcare service which best suits your needs, including NHS 111 online or call 111 for urgent health advice as normal, as well as community pharmacy. More details are included below.

To find out which service is right for you, please refer to the following guidance for help and advice: Think Which Service. 

If you need urgent medical advice, and it’s not an emergency, please visit 111.nhs.uk or call 111 from any landline or mobile phone. For life threatening emergencies, dial 999.

How you can help the local healthcare system:  

• NHS 111 online can tell you where to get help for your symptoms if you’re not sure what to do, how to find general health information and advice, where to get an emergency supply of your prescribed medicine and how to get a repeat prescription. You can also call NHS 111 to speak to a clinician and make bookings for urgent treatment centres and other services. The online and telephone services are available 24/7.

• Minor Injury Units are here to help with injuries that need attention urgently but are not critical or life threatening, including cuts, sprains and rashes. The units are staffed by Registered Nurses. There are four Minor Injury Units in Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin:

• • • • • Bridgnorth Community Hospital 
        • Ludlow Community Hospital 
        • Whitchurch Community Hospital
        • Oswestry Health Centre

• Urgent Treatment Centres treat injuries including sprains, strains, suspected fractures, bites, cuts, scalds, and other non-emergency conditions. Waiting times are usually much shorter than A&E. We have UTCs at both hospital sites (Royal Shrewsbury Hospital and Princess Royal Hospital, Telford) within our Emergency Departments. They are open from 9am - 9pm seven days a week.

• Anyone who is in mental health distress should call the Mental Health Crisis Line: 0808 196 4501 – the helpline is open 24 hours a day.

• Community Pharmacists are experts in medicine who can help you with minor health concerns. As qualified healthcare professionals, they can offer clinical advice and over-the-counter medicines for a range of minor illnesses, such as coughs, colds, sore throats, tummy trouble and aches and pains. If symptoms suggest it’s something more serious, pharmacists have the right training to make sure you get the help you need and can signpost you to an appropriate NHS service. Find a pharmacy near you: Find a pharmacy – NHS (www.nhs.uk) Your local pharmacist may also be able to offer treatment and some prescription medicine for some conditions, without you needing to see a GP (this is called Pharmacy First). If you go to a pharmacy with one of these conditions, the pharmacist will offer you advice, treatment or refer you to another healthcare professional if needed.
• Conditions they can treat as part of this service are: 

• • • • • earache (aged 1 to 17 years) 
        • impetigo (aged 1 year and over) 
        • infected insect bites (aged 1 year and over) 
        • shingles (aged 18 years and over) 
        • sinusitis (aged 12 years and over) 
        • sore throat (aged 5 years and over) 
        • urinary tract infections or UTIs (women aged 16 to 64 years).
          

Information about collective action:

During collective action, practices are still required to fulfil their contracts, which essentially means they are required to be open between 8am and 6:30pm, Monday to Friday and should also provide reasonable care to patients, including:  

• • • • • Making appointments available  
        • Providing advice or care to patients by another means 
        • Giving advice on alternative services 
        • Providing access to prescription, long term condition management, vaccinations, diagnoses and referral (including where clinically urgent).

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):  

What is happening?  

The BMA has announced that GPs will be taking collective action. This means that GPs may choose to make changes to some aspects of how they work. Practices will still be open and will still see patients; however, some GPs may operate differently. Where this happens, patients may be directed to other local services to make sure that safe provision of care remains.  

This is a non-statutory ballot for collective action, which means GPs should not be taking any action that would breach their contract.
 

I thought GPs were the NHS?  

GPs are independent contractors who are contracted to provide NHS services. During collective action, GPs will still be working and will still be providing the NHS services that they are contracted to provide.
 

What is the impact of collective action?  

During collective action practices are still required to fulfil their contracts, this essentially means:

• • • • Practices are required to be open between 8am and 6:30pm – Monday to Friday.
      • Practices should provide reasonable care to patients which includes.
      • Making appointments available.
      • Providing advice or care to patients by another means.
      • Give advice on alternative services
      • Providing access to prescriptions, long terms condition management, vaccinations, diagnoses and referral (including where clinically urgent).

Practices also need to take into account:  

• • • • The needs of a patient to avoid risks to patient safety.
      • The benefits to patients of providing continuity of care.   

The local NHS is working hard to plan for disruption and to mitigate this where possible. GPs are choosing to take this action, but the nature of the collective action means that the impacts will vary at different GP practices and area by area. We anticipate that this action will cause disruption across the NHS as patients may need to attend other services, this could mean appointments for some services not being at your usual GP practice and instead being somewhere else.
 

When is this happening?

The nature of collective action means that it does not need a formal notice period, the BMA has indicated that this could mean action starting on 1 August 2024. As the action does not involve a breach of contract and practices will remain open, it could potentially continue for an unspecified but potentially significant period of time.   

Is this safe?  

Patient safety is a priority and the usual rules and considerations around safety continue to apply. GPs should not take any action that puts patient safety at risk.
 

Can I still get an appointment at my GP? 

Yes, practices will still be open, and you can book appointments through your practice. If you have an appointment, you should attend unless your GP practice tell you otherwise. Your GP practice should inform you of any changes to services.  

What is the NHS doing about this? 

The NHS and government are working hard to avert collective action and to plan for disruption and to mitigate this where possible. The nature of the collective action means that the impacts will vary at different GP practices. NHS England is working closely with government to review options for providing additional funding to further support general practice, subject to funding availability constraints.