WREXHAM: Patients struggling to access GPs health board told

In the last few years, there has been particular concern about the areas served by the Hillcrest, Borras Park and Forge Road surgeries.

These focused around the reduction in the number of GPs and an over reliance on locums, which was causing a lack of stability and consistency for patients trying to make appointments to see a GP.

Representatives from Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board (BCUHB) attended a meeting of Wrexham Council’s safeguarding, communities and wellbeing scrutiny committee to give an update on the situation.

Rachael Page, associate director of primary care in Wrexham and Flintshire for the health board said despite progress in some areas in the past year, recruitment of GPs still remains a challenge.

Whitegate Cllr Brian Cameron (Lab) said this had been an issue since 2013 and asked what was being done about it.

“We don’t seem to be able to get to the bottom of being able to recruit GPs”, he said.

“If it was difficult to recruit in 2013 with inflation being low, what chance have you got now with inflation being high?

“How do you intend to try to keep them (medical students) in Wales rather than going across the border?”

Ms Page answered that the increase in training coming to the area is a starting point and that the health board is looking at financial incentives for GPs to move into the area.

“North Wales is a great place to live so it’s about how we sell that to local students and established GPs as well”, she said.

Ms Page added that some GPs now prefer not to do full-time hours, and a number are ageing and looking towards retirement, while it takes a long-time for new GPs to train.

READ MORE: Update on GP staffing and availability in Wrexham

She said the health board is looking at other clinicians that can complement GPs such as advanced nurse practitioners and paramedics who are multi-disciplined.

New Broughton Cllr Claire Lovett (Ind) said there are still problems at the Hillcrest cluster of surgeries.

She said: “Patients are still not able to see a GP.

“Patients are being told call back tomorrow so they’re not on the phone for more than 20 seconds when they do get through.

“From my experience patients are no longer complaining - they’re completely disillusioned with the service, they’ve been complaining for the last few years and nothing seems to be done.”

But Cllr Lovett did praise the addition of nursing practitioners.

Borras Park Cllr Debbie Wallace (Con) echoed Cllr Lovett’s comments.

She said: “Every week I’m contacted by frustrated patients who live in my ward, frustrated because they can’t get an appointment and can’t even get through to the receptionist.

“In some instances this has meant further health troubles and specialist intervention from the Maelor (hospital).”

Cllr Wallace asked about the promotion of community pharmacies to residents too.

Ms Page said patient feedback and complaints are important. She added that the Borras surgery is a GMS surgery not directly run by the health board but that BCUHB liaises directly with all practices to meet with partners and management teams, and work closely with pharmacies.

Cllr Becca Martin (Image: Public)

Acton and Maesydre Cllr Becca Martin (Plaid) said residents had told her that quality of care is good when accessible, but the constant use of locum GPs is affecting continuity for patients and there are still accessibility issues.

She said: “Feedback about accessibility is overwhelmingly negative.

“I’ve had comments such as ‘no slot when you get through’, ‘unless you phone exactly at 8am all the appointments are gone’, ‘after six weeks after trying to get help it took 111, A&E and police before we could access a GP appointment’.

“I don’t think that’s acceptable. You say you’ve got 13 new doctors, how many are going to be at these surgery’s that are at crisis point?

“Ultimately the consequences of an un-functioning GP surgery are genuinely life and death for our residents.”

She suggested the committee consider writing to the Health Minister about the situation in Wrexham.

Ms Page thanked Cllr Martin for the feedback and said the majority of newly-recruited GPs are earmarked for Wrexham.

She said: “The thing with improving services is, it’s not going to happen overnight.

“Whilst we can demonstrate that there are certain parts of the service that have improved significantly if we take an example of access we can evidence really that patients are not waiting on the phone-lines anywhere near as much as they were last year.

“But at the same time if they can get through to a receptionist quickly but they can’t get an appointment, that’s equally an issue.

“Resource has absolutely been an issue.”

“Of the 13 (new) GPs, 10 are Wrexham focused and we continue to work on recruitment.”

She added: “I’m absolutely confident there has been real improvement across all the managed practices in Wrexham.

“Are we where we need to be? Absolutely not. There’s still a lot of work that needs to be done and we do need to work together to look at those issues so we can fully understand anything that doesn’t necessarily come through to the health board.”

READ MORE; Betsi Cadwaladr on accessing GPs in Wrexham

Brynyffynnon Cllr Phil Wynn (Ind), worried about potential large housing developments on his city centre ward and Wrexham being earmarked for economic growth by the Welsh Government.

He asked what dialogue the health board has had with the government about capacity.

Ms Page confirmed the health board is involved in discussions and “pushing the point about capacity, primary care and funding”, with the Welsh Government while acknowledging space is stretched in some practices.

Cllr Wynn also asked about salary rates between GPs over the border.

Ms Page replied that historically it has been an issue with competition from Liverpool, Manchester and Chester, that salary rates tend to vary.

Chairing the meeting, Cefn Cllr Derek Wright (Lab) said he was pleased to see progress in a new health centre in Cefn Mawr.

Councillors also received a presentation on the emergency department at the Maelor hospital.

The historic time target was four hours for a patient to be admitted, seen, treated and leave.

But that was a challenge before Covid and remains one now due to over-crowding. More than 5,000 people attended A&E at the Maelor in June.

Councillors agreed to give feedback to the health board about some of the concerns raised by Cllr Martin and if necessary, the Health Minister too.