New out-of-hours GP service has 'bumpy' start

HealthHero was employed to give health advice to people outside normal GP opening hours

A new out-of-hours GP service has had a "slightly bumpy" handover from the service it replaced, a report has said.

HealthHero took over the contract in Shropshire in July, replacing long-serving provider Shropdoc, and NHS Shropshire.

NHS Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin (NHS STW) said there had been an issue with HeathHero's ability to store and supply controlled drugs, because it was still waiting for a licence to do this.

There had been other issues too, but the NHS STW chief medical officer, Dr Lorna Clarson, praised the new provider for its "can do attitude".

In her report, she said mitigations had been put in place to continue access to the drugs and she told a meeting no issues had been reported for patients.

Organisations that run out-of-hours GP services must have a controlled-drugs licence from the Home Office to legally possess, store, and supply certain medications.

The Care Quality Commission said it could take at least six months from the point of applying for a licence to receiving one.

NHS STW said Home Office site visits had been booked for "early December".

Other issues reported by NHS STW included a "reduced number of staff that transferred across to HealthHero" and a "significant number" of short notice cancellations for GP shifts over the first weekend.

There was also a "technical issue between two clinical systems", which impacted on the flow of information between GPs and the new provider.

Despite this, the health commissioning body said there had been "positive feedback" from patients.

And Jo Williams, the chief executive of both the Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital Trust and Shropshire Community Health Trust, said: "Hero is exactly what they have been. They have been incredible.

"It wasn't easy for them to take the contract, but I think it will continue to flourish."

This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service which covers councils and other public service organisations.