Consultation on the proposed future of GP Out of Hours provision in Belfast Trust area

Overview

Belfast Health and Social Care Trust is committed to ensuring our General Practice Out of Hours (GP OOH) services are of the highest possible quality and are effective and compassionate.

As such, the Trust has produced this document to ensure that service users, and families, staff and the public at large have an opportunity to consider and comment on the proposed reorganisation of GP Out of Hours services. 

Belfast Trust is responsible for the provision of GP Out of Hours services for the population of Belfast. Over recent years, there have been challenges in maintaining out of hours service provision at the two bases on the Crumlin Road and the Knockbreda Health and Wellbeing site.

The Trust has already engaged with and explained what changes it is proposing to modernise the service and address the challenges that it faces. This included the rationale for introducing a multi-disciplinary service with nurses, paramedics and pharmacists - so that the service is no longer reliant on one single profession and to free up GPs to attend to those who are more acutely unwell.  

Furthermore, in the best use of public monies, the Trust considers that it would be more cost-effective and more efficient to provide the service from one base, alongside the relatively newly established Phone First service. Moving to one site with the newly introduced skill mix would make considerable economies of scale by consolidating resources and would address the significant, increasing overspend that the service is facing year on year.

Evidence has shown that the current model is no longer sustainable and frequently, the Trust has had to close one site due to workforce issues.  

Belfast Trust is now launching a 13-week consultation on these proposed changes – you will find all of the details in the attached consultation paper.

Why your views matter

The Trust is committed to make every effort over this 13-week consultation period to engage as widely as possible with those who use our services, carers and with our staff. The Trust encourages as many people as possible to respond and have their voice heard in this public consultation process. The Trust is consulting from Thursday 3^rd October until Thursday 2nd January 2025.

The Trust has completed an Equality Screening (attached) in respect of the proposed changes.

We aim to make this engagement as inclusive as possible so if you require the questionnaire in alternative formats or in a language other than English please contact Orla Barron on orla.barron@belfasttrust.hscni.net.

Finally, thank you for sharing your views with us.