Solihull GP insists patients not getting appointments are not 'fobbed off'

A Solihull GP has moved to reassure patients they are not being 'fobbed off' to other NHS services as medics look to tackle increased pressure this winter. Dr Natasha Behl, Executive GP Partner at Solihull Healthcare Partnership, said the vast majority of appointments at her practice are now being taken up by people suffering common winter conditions and illnesses.

She urged people across Birmingham and Solihull to take preventive steps to stay well as GP appointments were becoming increasingly difficult to get due to demand. And she added sending patients to services such as Pharmacy First where advice and treatment can be given for non-urgent cases is helping ease the pressure.

NHS Birmingham and Solihull has been urging people to get their flu, Covid and RSV vaccines for weeks while also promoting Pharmacy First and Urgent Treatment Centres. They said there has been a notable increase in hospital admissions of people suffering from flu.

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Dr Behl said: "We are seeing now the vast majority of our appointments are related to common winter conditions and illnesses. The vast majority are either young children and infants or your more elderly folk who have other vulnerabilities which makes them more susceptible.

"It's all about prevention which I think people have forgotten about. Staying vigilant, staying indoors if you are not well, washing your hands - that whole catch it, kill it, bin it. Children have been brought into surgeries with active fevers and they're in their school uniform and I ask 'where are you going now?'

"They say they're going to school and I say 'No, you can't go to school. You have a fever.' It's simple things like that, such as avoiding vulnerable relatives if you're poorly.

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"It is sadly very difficult to get an appointment (now). We are doing a lot of triaging on the telephone because we don't want patients necessarily to come into the practice and sit in waiting rooms if they're infective. There is a surge in flu at the moment, there are over 100 patients admitted at Heartlands Hospital.

"As a system response we've created some winter surge capacity - paediatric hubs looking after children but also acute respiratory hubs in Solihull and other parts in Birmingham to try and increase appointments and see these people. We are relying heavily on Pharmacy First, not just the seven conditions they manage but also general advice. A lot of things are available over the counter.

"Our planned care work has not stopped completely but we are prioritising these acute, on the day appointments over our planned routine care. Ten per cent of our day on demand we're able to signpost them to Pharmacy First. One of the worries of the general public is they feel they are being fobbed off to the pharmacist.

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"But it's to reassure them a pharmacist can prescribe antibiotics if appropriate, they can assess - they've had extra training in order to be able to deliver this service. If they feel it is not appropriate and they can't manage, they can liaise directly back with the GP who has a duty of care to pick it up."

She added: "Solihull has traditionally done better when it comes to vaccines but it's Birmingham which doesn't perform well and is below the national average. Vaccines are not going to stop you getting the viruses but what they will do is reduce the effect in your body. They are likely to make you less ill."

Natalie Travers, Healthwatch Solihull Manager, said: "(We) are aware of the pressures placed on NHS services during winter months. Following an investigation into community pharmacy services in Solihull we found that in general people were happy with the service at their local pharmacy, particularly how quick and convenient it was for minor conditions.

"However, a lot of people were not aware of all the services their pharmacy could offer under the Pharmacy First scheme. We encourage the NHS to continue to communicate the range of services which are available and how they can be accessed.

"Our feedback also suggests that many people are happy with NHS 111, who can recommend the most appropriate service and book appointments at services such as Urgent Treatment Centres. A&E is only suitable for the most serious conditions, and long waiting times mean many patients will find it quicker to be seen elsewhere."