Patients 'enormously frustrated' and difficulty with getting GP appointments

Last year a a new health and wellbeing centre opened in Brynmawr, replacing a series of ageing facilities in the area.

But, speaking in the Senedd this week, Blaenau Gwent AM Alun Davies said patients had told him it was extremely difficult to get appointments at the centre.

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Addressing health secretary Vaughan Gething, the Labour AM said: "I think nearly £4 million has been invested in improving the facilities available to the people of Brynmawr and the upper Ebbw Fach valley, but since the opening of the new centre, I've had literally hundreds of people contacting me, talking about how difficult it is to access the services in the well-being centre.

"I'm sure you share the frustration of people in Brynmawr and myself and elsewhere that we invest in fantastic new facilities to improve the healthcare infrastructure in Brynmawr and then people find it difficult to access services within those facilities.

"What do you say to those people who see this wonderful new facility but are enormously frustrated being unable to get an appointment to see a GP or other healthcare professionals?"

Alun Davies

Mr Gething replied he recognised patients being able to access GPs or other health services was a key issue, especially in communities such as Brynmawr.

"It's the largest issue of concern in the National Survey for Wales and it's grown as an issue," he said. "That's why we're determined to make progress on improving access.

"The investments that we're making in facilities are designed to do that, but it does require change in practice. And everywhere that new access arrangements are made, in particular about triage arrangements, whether by non-clinical staff, nurse-led or GP-led, there's almost always been a bump in getting over a new way of working for staff, but also for the public to access that service."

But, saying "I do expect everyone to be able to access the right clinicians at the right place and in the right time", he added he expected patients to be informed of any changes to the way services are run and offered to met Mr Davies to discuss the situation.

Vaughan Gething

A spokeswoman from Aneurin Bevan University Health Board, which runs the facility, said a new appointment system had recently been put in place at the practice.

"The practice offers routine pre-book appointments and same day appointment if required," she said.

"There is also an on-call doctor in the afternoon for medical emergencies, in order to continue to provide a safe service.

"The practice has also worked to improve their services and now have a much wider multidisciplinary clinical workforce including GPs, advanced nurse practitioners, mental health practitioners and pharmacists. All of these roles complement our GP workforce.

"To support this, the practice is operating a system called ‘Care Navigation’, which ensures patients are directed to the most appropriate member of this multidisciplinary team and this might not need to be a GP on all occasions.

"The practice recognises that GP slots do get filled quickly. As the new model fully embeds, it is envisaged that patients will routinely ask/be booked to see the most appropriate clinician for their needs, freeing up GP time for the most complex of patients. We would like to thank the patients for their understanding whilst the new primary care team and systems at the surgery settle in."