Agenda item - Access to GP Services in Brighton & Hove

31.1    This item was presented by Garry Money, Director of Primary Care Commissioning & Transformation at NHS Sussex; Kate Symons, Deputy Director of Primary Care; and by Dr Andy Hodson, a local GP and NHS Sussex Deputy Chief Medical Officer.

31.2    Mr Money told the committee that:

·       There are 31 GP practices in Brighton & Hove, sharing 333,619 registered patients

·       The patient list has an annual growth rate of around 0.7%

·       There is a large variation across the city in terms of GP practice size

·       GP appointments dipped during the pandemic but have subsequently recovered and are now well above pre-pandemic levels, with a 5% year on year increase

·       The number of GP appointments per resident in Brighton & Hove is slightly lower than both the England and the SE average

·       There are significant variations in the performance of practices across the city, and while some of this may be explained by demographics or the specialist nature of some practices, reducing unwarranted variation is a priority

·       Other priorities include reducing health inequalities and finding a solution to the 8am rush for appointments

·       There is positive news in terms of workforce, which is up 8.3% in the past year

·       There is a national push for enhanced access to GP services (outside of core hours), and Brighton & Hove is performing well in this respect

·       There is a national move to a ‘modern general practice’ model where GPs are supported by a wide workforce mix. This is supported locally but is not a universally popular model with patients.

31.3    Members asked questions on issues including:

·       The benefits of digital services

·       Digital exclusion

·       Whether being a city with a high cost of living impacts the recruitment of GPs and GP practice roles

·       Continuity of care

·       GP recruitment and retention

·       The increasing use of pharmacists and GP associates and whether these roles are always used appropriately

·       How information on the breadth of services available at GP practices is communicated to the public

·       The role of GPs and pharmacists in supporting timely and effective hospital discharge

·       The impact on GP practices of recent changes to employer National Insurance contributions

·       The availability across city GP practices of enhanced telephony, including the facility for call-back

·       Remote appointments

·       The role of GPs in supporting timely hospital discharge

·       The use of physician associate roles.

31.4    RESOLVED – that the report be noted.