provision of a Primary Care / GP service

A significant proportion of self-attending patients present to the Emergency Departments (ED) at UHB with conditions that are able to managed within primary care. Whilst measures are in place to re-direct many of these patients back into primary care are in action, given the absence of an Urgent Treatment Centre (UTC) on these sites, there is always likely to be the need for provision of primary care services.

The successful provider will:

• see patients after initial nurse navigation into the primary care stream, working alongside the ED team to see the right patient, in the right place, first time;
• have access to bedside and point of care testing as per national UTC specification, including Blood glucose testing, urine dip, pregnancy testing, ECG, venous blood gas testing which includes Haemoglobin, lactate and electrolytes. Where same day radiology imaging is felt to be required, access to plain film imaging is available, any other modality would be via discussion with the ED consultant;
• review patients across the full age spectrum;
• not be expected to see patients presenting with an injury;
• be able to refer as per in the primary care to any receiving specialty using standard referral into Trust processes;
• deal with any patient complaints or reported incidents in the first instance with the ED ‘consultant of the day’ maintaining ownership of any significant incidents etc.

The staffing model of the successful provider can consist of a combination of doctors and Emergency Nurse Practitioners (ENP), but as a minimum should include one doctor on site at any one time.

There is a need to deliver 7 day provision at BHH and 3 days per week at GHH. Providers are invited to propose operating times, the number of patients that can be seen in any one day, and related costs. Subsequent to further ongoing discussions with commissioners, there may be scope to extend GHH to 7 days per week and also potentially to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH)”.