Updated 30 August 2019
The provider of this service is Durham Dales Health Federation, which is a federation of 12 GP practices in the Durham Dales area. They are registered with the Care Quality Commission to provide urgent care services. They provide an extended GP access service from the following locations;
- Bishop Auckland Hospital, Cockton Hill Road, Bishop Auckland, DL14 6AD
- Richardson Community Hospital, Victoria Road, Barnard Castle, DL12 8HT
- Stanhope Health Centre, Dale Street, Stanhope, DL13 2XD
We visited Bishop Auckland Hospital and the administrative base at Station View Medical Centre, 29a Escomb Road, Bishop Auckland, DL14 6AB as part of this inspection.
The extended access services are located in existing hospital accommodation and a GP practice. They use their accommodation to provide this service.
The federation employs its own staff. They provide other services, such as a vulnerable adult wrap around service and the staff work across the services.
The service employs two GPs, one nurse clinical lead and seven advanced nurse practitioners, there is an administrative team leader and seven administrative staff. The services use locum staff when necessary.
The times and clinicians who deliver the service is as follows;
- Bishop Auckland Primary Care Service – 6pm to 8pm Monday to Friday, weekends and bank holidays 8am to 1pm; these services are GP led. There is an overflow service (if extra capacity is needed) Monday to Friday 12 noon to 5pm, this is advanced nurse practitioner (ANP) led.
- Barnard Castle Primary Care Service – 6pm to 8pm Monday to Friday, weekends and bank holidays 8am to 1pm; this service is ANP led, with a GP on call.
- Weardale Primary Care Service (Stanhope Health Centre) – 6pm to 8pm Monday to Friday, weekends and bank holidays 8am to 1pm; this service is ANP led with a GP on call.
Patients can access appointments via the NHS 111 service; they can arrange either face to face appointments or telephone triage appointments (known as warm transfers)
GP practices in the federation can book patients into the overflow at Bishop Auckland.
The service for patients requiring urgent medical care outside of these and the GP surgery hours is provided by the NHS 111 service.