The Member of the Welsh Parliament for Aberconwy – Janet Finch-Saunders MS – has undertaken a visit to the Craig Y Don Medical Practice to learn more about the pressures being faced by primary care workers. The discussions with Dr Paul Emmett and Practice Manager Sue Fairburn came after the Member wrote to fourteen local practices to examine how she could better support the resumption of services.
The visit highlighted how the surgery have implemented a new telephone system to better handle the volume of calls that the practice receives daily. The surgery is also actively training its receptionists as care navigators which will help them re-direct patients to more appropriate services where required, such as opticians and dentists.
It was also outlined that services such as the Ambulatory Care Unit at the Llandudno General Hospital were of great assistance to primary care providers as it allowed them to send those patients who required additional investigative work but may not need hospital admission.
Commenting after the visit, Janet said:
“Following increasing concerns about the number of residents who continue to struggle to get a face-to-face GP appointment, I was pleased to have written to fourteen local practices and undertake virtual meetings with stakeholders to see how I could offer greater support.
“As I continue this work into the new year, it was a real privilege to have been kindly invited to the Craig Y Don Medical Practice to see first-hand how their staff are working tirelessly to deal with demand.
“Like many residents, this visit underlined that our healthcare professionals remain incredibly concerned by the revelation that no patients were seen at the Ambulatory Care Unit in 2021. Indeed, it appears that the reduction of these services have had a significant impact on our GP Practices, potentially and needlessly increasing number of patients admitted to hospital.
“Whilst I join with the Practice in welcoming the announcement of the new transitional ward at Llandudno Hospital, given that the scheme is scheduled to last only for 6 months, it is clear that it is merely a sticking plaster to a more entrenched issue. If we are to better address demand on our GPs, it is vital that the ACU reopens to patients at the earliest possible opportunity.”
Recently, Janet met with the Llandudno Hospital Action Group to discuss the need for a positive forward course. During the meeting, it was agreed that the Health Board should look to undertake additional long term strategic planning to understand what staff they need in a year from now.
Meanwhile, Janet has launched an online healthcare survey to seek the views and experiences of her constituents on accessing health services. Constituents can submit their views by heading to: janetfinchsaunders.org.uk/healthsurvey
