Birbeck Medical Group 2016-10-17 Person 4 5 0

Appointments with a nurse not usually available in less than a week, and with the registered GP I have to allow a month. There is a staff shortage, and recruitment problems. Widespread in Cumbria. Funding is the usual mantra, but with two medical practices in Mill Lane Penrith, there should be opportunities for integration and sharing of resources and facilities. The NHS is under pressure to cope with many and diverse problems, and there has been significant comment recently from NHS and social Services Professionals for integration of services for care of the elderly, who are very often hospital bed blockers. A cross party commission is needed to set out what we as a nation should expect to get free at the point of use,and what is not acceptable without charge, when funding a Black Hole of demand is not a palatable option. Why should Hospital A&E departments fulfill the role of GP surgeries " out of hours"? Gone are the days, when GP's did home visits, or attended a home emergency. Now the system is dial 999, and hope the paramedics will take the emergency patient to hospital. It has become disjointed : the GP should arrange hospitalisation, but who wants to be a GP? under these terms? In Penrith the A& E is on the same site as two medical practices. Integrate! rationalise! be more cost effective! Better time utilisation by all medical staff could achieved by use of a Tannoy system to call patients to a treatment/consulting room, without need for hard pressed medical staff to walk to reception area and back.