‘Give views on out of hours service’

PEOPLE are being asked to give their views on a GP’s out of hours service which was strongly criticised in a recent report.

A review panel, made up of East Riding councillors, heard “time and time again” of “serious issues” with the out of hours service, which has just two GPs and two “contract practitioners” for a population of 300,000 people spread over more than 900 square miles. A report discussed this week concluded that the service was “proving to be a barrier to the provision of good community care out of normal working hours” for those nearing the end of their lives.

The East Riding CCG is gathering views in an online survey and say it will be helpful to hear from patients and their families who have used the service within the last six months. They say it will support a current review “and help identify areas where the service is performing well and where it can be improved.” Asked about the criticism, it said the service averages 2600 contacts each month and the CCG had “no evidence to suggest a rise in patient complaints.” It added: “Views collected through the survey will contribute to shaping any future model for out of hours services.”