You may be aware of a recent overwhelming vote by GPs to reject the contract offered to them by NHS England.

The outcome of this vote means that GPs across the country are in support of collective action to stand against the lack of adequate funding in general practice. This lack of funding is directly to the detriment of you – our patients.

This has been a difficult decision for the partners at the Medical Unit, but we feel we have to support this action in order to advocate for fair funding for general practice – to make it easier for you to see a GP when you need to and receive the care you should.

Without fair funding, the service we provide is unsustainable. Despite our very best efforts, we continue to see GP practices close across the UK. There are 6 million more patients than there were in 2018, with 2000 fewer full time equivalent GPs to care for them.

Our funding levels are significantly lower than in 2018 – we receive just 30p per patient per day to provide GP services – and this must pay for everything.

In the last 8 years, Primary Care funding has fallen by 20% - and yet we offer 20% more appointments than we did 8 years ago. General practice receives 5.6% of the total NHS budget, despite providing 84% of patient contacts with the NHS every single day.

We strongly believe that general practice should receive a fairer share of the NHS budget. This is not about an increase in wages for GP’s – it is about adequately funding a service which is essential for the NHS to function and giving GP’s the ability to continue to provide enough appointments, employ enough doctors and clinicians, and fundamentally, to keep their GP surgeries open.

What will this mean for you?

We are trying our utmost to support this action with the minimum disruption to your care here at Measham Medical Unit.

One of the key issues is the volume of patient contacts GPs have per working day – it has been recommended by the British Medical Association that GPs have a maximum of 25 patient contacts in a day, to maintain a safe level of working. On some days, GPs at Measham will have up to 80 patient contacts in a day.

Part of the collective action is that GPs will only have a maximum of 25 patient contacts per working day. This will affect the number of appointments we have available at Measham. When you ring for an appointment, you may be told that the surgery is at capacity for the day – this means that all clinicians have had 25 patient contacts and there is no availability left for that day.

Our receptionists will advise you of your other options for medical attention on the same day, with services that are funded to provide this same day care.

We understand that being told there are no appointments is frustrating. It is frustrating for us too. But we must draw the line somewhere, and we have to provide safe care for the patients we do see.

We hope you understand that we are taking this action to ensure that general practice locally, in Leicestershire and across England is there for our patients in years to come.

 You will still be able to come to the ‘same day, walk in’ blood test clinic as usual.

Referrals will still be sent when required.

You will still be able to make an online, telephone or face to face appointment, both on the day and forward booking (until capacity is reached) – depending on your preference.

Dispensary opening hours will not change.

Surgery opening hours will not change.

Our highly trained reception team will continue to ask some questions regarding your need for an appointment, to try to make the most appropriate appointment for you or to signpost you to a more suitable service (i.e. Walk in centre, minor injuries unit, pharmacy etc.).

 Other actions taken as part of the collective stand are directed at how we work with secondary care and other service providers and will hopefully not impact individual care at all.

Where to get help when we have reached capacity

 

Pharmacy first – your local pharmacist can offer help and advice on a range of conditions. They can also offer prescriptions for the following conditions:

Ear infections	1 to 17 years
Impetigo- skin infections	1 year and over
Infected insect bites	1 year and over
Shingles	18 years and over
Sinusitis	12 years and over
Sore throat	5 years and over
Uncomplicated urinary tract infections	Women 16-64 years

We have 2 late night pharmacies in the local area,

Ashby Pharmacy

17 The Green

Ashby De La Zouch

Leicestershire

LE65 1JU

01530 411222

Open 9 am to 9pm Monday to Saturday

Tesco Pharmacy

Resolution Road

Ashby De La Zouch

Leicestershire

LE65 1TE

 

0121 5191392

Open 9am to 9pm Monday – Saturday, 10am-4pm Sunday

NHS 111 – helpline open 24 hours a day 7 days a week

 

Local Urgent Care /Walk in Centres.

 

Loughborough NHS Urgent Treatment Centre
Loughborough Hospital
Hospital Way
Loughborough
Leicestershire
LE11 5JY

01509 568800 

Open 24 hours a day 7 days a week

Swadlincote Urgent Care Centre

Civic Way
Swadlincote
Derbyshire
DE11 0AE

01283 818000

Opening times:

Monday to Friday: 6.30pm-10.00pm, Saturday and Sunday and bank holidays 9am to 10.00pm

For Emergencies

Queen's Hospital Burton Accident and Emergency Department
Belvedere Road
Burton on Trent
Staffordshire
DE13 0RB

01283 566333

Open 24 hours a day 7 days a week

Leicester Royal Infirmary Accident and Emergency Department

Infirmary Square
 Leicester 
 LE1 5WW 

0300 303 1573

Open 24 hours a day 7 days a week

Central Access Point Mental Health Support 

0808 800 3302

Anyone needing mental health support for themselves or others can call this service, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Vitaminds NHS LLR Talking Therapies 

Self referral via website https://www.vitahealthgroup.co.uk/make-a-referral/self-referral/nhs-mental-health-self-referral/leicester-leicestershire-rutland-nhs-mental-health-self-referral/ 

Or by calling 0330 094 5595. 

VitaMinds is not an emergency service and is not able to offer urgent help for crisis situations.

If you are thinking of hurting yourself, or suicide feels like the only option, please contact your GP or visit your local Accident and Emergency Department.

If you think you are struggling to keep yourself safe, or are seeking help for a medical emergency, call 999.

VitaMinds will respond to your self-referral within 72 hours.