25.10.12
PCF calls for whole system approach to urgent care
Greater clarity is needed on urgent care commissioning, a new report from the Primary Care Foundation (PCF) urges.
The report highlights wide variation in services provided from Urgent Care Centres (UCCs). Patients may be confused by which service to use when, and the services offered are inconsistent; treating patients with different conditions at different times.
UCCs also have different opening hours and treatment offered, the report states. The PCF is calling for clinical commissioners to look at the whole urgent care system to improve care, and for UCCs to provide a rapid ‘see and treat’ response.
Henry Clay, director of the PCF, says: “The public are confused about the range of terms we use and the lack of consistency across services. It is time to develop a core set of services, minimum standards and a consistent terminology, so that patients can recognise where to go and have greater confidence about the range and level of service they can expect.
“This report demonstrates the importance of fully joined up commissioning of urgent care rather than commissioning services separately as has sometimes happened in response to centrally driven innovations. There is a need for local commissioners to take a clear strategic view of all their urgent care services and develop an integrated approach that includes primary care.
“The key factor that is particularly important for patients accessing urgent care is a rapid response. Services need to look carefully at their clinical process, seeing and treating as many patients as quickly as possible and, where possible, avoiding unnecessary assessments or triage.”
The report is available from: www.primarycarefoundation.co.uk
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