Sunderland Health Forum
Friday 26th June 2015, 10:30-12:30
The Place, Athenaeum Street, Sunderland.
Dr Val Taylor began the session with a warm welcome and thanked everyone for
attending.
Breast Services engagement
SCCG are in the process of developing a new breast service. As part of this, SCCG
plan to undertake comprehensive engagement with all areas of the community. The
engagement will include surveying patients who have been through the service
through a survey, both paper and electronic. Following this, there will be targeted
interviews to look at what the service could look like, to further improve. Results from
this exercise will influence the service specification for the new service.
Over 90% of the approximate 3,000 patients that are seen yearly, through our breast
service unit are non-cancer patients so, while breast cancer patients are key
respondents, it is vital we have feedback from people who have had any treatment,
including men.
Other comments:

Pharmacies could include information in prescription bags.
Primary care strategy
As of April 1st, there have been changes to primary care. SCCG will have a greater
involvement in primary care co-commissioning and will be working closely with the
Area Team to ensure that decisions taken about healthcare services are strategically
aligned across the local health economy. SCCG are working towards the
development of a primary care strategy and will work hard to ensure that high quality
and consistency is a part of this. SCCG acknowledge that engagement is very
important and are therefore keen that people sign up to My NHS. By signing up,
people have the opportunity to get involved in the work SCCG do to develop and
improve local health services. They will also:

Receive regular updates about the work of NHS SCCG
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Receive invitations to events
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Have opportunities to give views about areas of healthcare that interest

Be able to participate as much or as little as you like
To sign up to My NHS simply fill in a paper My NHS form or go to the Sunderland
CCG website - or click here
Draft engagement code of conduct
The group were given time to read through the paper and had the opportunity to
feedback their initial thoughts and suggestions.
Draft code of
practice
SHF - Community
engagement code of practice.ppt
Key points:

Too much jargon – one copy for everyone to understand

Abbreviations need to be made clear

This document needs to be available for all needs i.e., interpretation.

Innovative ways to engage with the public

Target bigger, existing groups in order to liaise with people win the
community.

Communication with the public could be improved.

The use of an online newsletter

Reviewing information – ‘You said we did’, could be improved.

Use YouTube more widely

Sharing information – use existing groups such as Girl Guides, Scouts, Youth
Parliament, Schools/Colleges/universities, Student Union..

Use the Voluntary & Community Sector more effectively, to help with
engaging with the patients/public

The document could be a 1 page summary – easy to understand
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Urgent Care
Presentation attached for information.
Urgent Care
June26.pptx
Dr Tracey Lucas began by highlighting the best place for patients to go, in order to
get the most suitable treatment. Sunderland’s Urgent Care Centres, formally known
as Walk-in Centres, are staffed by GPs and nurses, who can see and treat patients
of all ages from birth upwards. This would be the best place to visit for patients who
have a health issue which is not life-threatening but need to be seen on that day.
Patients can still walk in to an Urgent Care Centre. NHS 111 can also help if you’re
unsure of the best place to go for treatment. All of the urgent care streamlining is
about getting the patient seen at the right place, at the right time.
The Urgent Care Centres are open Monday to Friday 10am to 10pm and from 8am
to 10pm, Saturday, Sunday and Bank Holidays.
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Washington Primary Care Centre, Parkway, Washington, NE38 7QZ
Bunny Hill Primary Care Centre, Downhill, Sunderland, SR5 4BW
Houghton Primary Care Centre, Houghton-le-Spring, DH4 5HB
Patients can also visit their pharmacist for quick, confidential advice on a range of
common illnesses.
During this part of the forum, interactive voting took place; the group were able to
vote with their hand-held voting buttons, on questions relating to media. Questions
and responses are included within the above imbedded presentation.
Key points re the Urgent Care Centres
What was good?

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Easy to access – distributed across the city
Bunnyhill Centre includes a gym, library & café , integrating the community
GP led
One stop shop
Urgent care team are excellent
Less of a waiting time, compared to the hospital.
The centres are closer to people’s homes
What was not so good?
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Bunnyhill – disability access not very good.
Not having the correct medication in stock
Receptionists should act professional and know compassion
Lack of clarity re open hours
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Couldn’t get treatment at urgent care centre
NHS 111 service – patient told this isn’t a walk-in service (February 2015)
No urgent care centre in Hendon, with a 10,000 population.
Parking – ticket validation.
Key comments/suggestions:


Staff at the urgent care centres could give you an indication of how long your
wait could be. You could be given the option of waiting or an appointment slot
to call back.
The ‘Urgent Care’ centre name is misleading. Couldn’t they be called the
‘Walk-in’ centres?
Dave Gallagher re-assured the group that the Urgent Care Centres still offer a walkin service, where you have the option to sit and wait to be seen. The staff at the 111
service offer an appointment or triage. SCCG have held meetings with providers of
the urgent care centres to re-enforce this message further work is planned to
enhance this.
Planning a new urgent care campaign
Presentation attached for information:
SHF - Planning a new
Urgent Care Campaign.pptx
The new urgent care campaign will focus on being an all year round campaign.
Results from scenarios will feed into the developmental work, towards designing a
new campaign. The groups were given a few scenarios of different situations where
they may need medical attention as well as a selection of choices of service they
would use.
Scenario questions attached for information:
Scenario - case
study.docx
The group were split into 2 groups. Results as follows:
Scenario 1
You have been suffering from hay fever
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What would you do?
Book an appointment with your GP?
Book an appointment with your GP practice nurse ?
Go to a walk in centre?
Call NHS 111?
Visit a pharmacy (Chemist)?
Go to the A&E department?

The majority chose, ‘Go to Pharmacy’
Recommendation – If you are normally healthy then you should either buy hay
fever tablets at a supermarket (costs around a £1) or visit a pharmacy for free
consultation with a pharmacist.
Scenario 2
You have nail extensions; you’ve recently had them re-done by a new nail bar.
You have been experiencing pain from under one of the extensions, and you
finger is red and starting to get inflamed.
What would you do?
Book an appointment with your GP?
Book an appointment with your GP practice nurse ?
Go to a walk in centre?
Call NHS 111?
Visit a pharmacy (Chemist)?
Go to the A&E department?

The group agreed they would opt for, ‘Look after it yourself, and would go to
the urgent care centre if their situation worsened.
Recommendation: Look after it yourself by soaking the nail off with acetone,
treating the inflammation with antiseptic and keeping it clean with a plaster. If
it does not get any better then seek some medical help.
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Scenario 3
You are a parent, and you have a 18 month old son who has ear ache for over
24 hours. You have been treating with paracetamol, but he does not seem any
better. He is running temperature, and he’s getting upset. What do you do?
Book an appointment with your GP?
Book an appointment with your GP practice nurse ?
Go to a walk in centre?
Call NHS 111?
Visit a pharmacy (Chemist)?
Go to the A&E department?

The majority chose to visit A&E.
Recommendation: After 24 hours and he is no better, then it may be best to
see your GP who can look in your son’s ears and assess if antibiotics are
needed. Most ear infections are viral and do not need antibiotics, however
checking his ears will assess if further treatment is needed. Book an
appointment with your GP
Scenario 4
You have just come back from Spain on holiday where on your last day you
were bitten by an insect. You feel fine, but the bite has blistered and feels
itchy. What do you do?
Book an appointment with your GP?
Book an appointment with your GP practice nurse ?
Go to a walk in centre?
Call NHS 111?
Visit a pharmacy (Chemist)?
Go to the A&E department?

The group were in agreement they would’ go to Pharmacy’
Recommendation: Look after yourself, keep the area clean and consider
buying antihistamine tablets (hay fever tablets do the same thing unbranded
medicines cost as low as £1 per pack)
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If it gets worse, looks infected or you start to feel unwell or run a temperature
then consider further medical help from your GP or practice nurse.
Scenario 5
You were sick last night, and the vomit looked like it had coffee grinds in it.
You look some indigestion mixture but still have severe indigestion – so what
do you do?
Book an appointment with your GP?
Book an appointment with your GP practice nurse ?
Go to a walk in centre?
Call NHS 111?
Visit a pharmacy (Chemist)?
Go to the A&E department?

The group agreed they would call 111
Recommendation: The coffee grinds could indicate digested blood, so it would
be best if you got some medical advice either at your GP or your walk in
centre. You may need further investigation to rule out any serious causes such
as an ulcer.
Dr Val Taylor highlighted the important of patients always going to A&E if they think
they need to.
How much do you think an NHS service costs?
Each time you use an NHS service, we (the CCG) need to pay for these services. A
small exercise took place; the group had the opportunity to estimate what the costs
of NHS services are to the SCCG:
1. An appointment with your GP
£25 per consultation
2. Appointment with your GP practice nurse
£10 per consultation
3. Walk-in centre
£55 per consultation
4. Call NHS 111
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£6 per consultation
5. Visit a pharmacy (chemist)
£3.50 per consultation
6. Looking after yourself
Nothing
7. Going to A&E
Starts at £57 and goes up to £235 depending on treatment
Dr Val Taylor thanked everyone for attending and taking part in today’s Health
Forum.
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