Shropcom and Shropdoc Join Forces on Out-of-Hours Services

We are delighted to let you know today that a new delivery partnership is being formed between Shropshire Community Health NHS Trust (Shropcom) and the Shropshire Doctors Co-operative (Shropdoc) to provide a high quality Integrated Urgent Care GP-Led out-of-hours service.

Our two organisations have come together to tender for the new Integrated Urgent Care GP-led Out of Hours Service which is being commissioned jointly by Shropshire CCG and Telford and Wrekin CCG.

Bids must be submitted by mid-day Tuesday next week. A decision is expected on 21^st June, and the new service will start on 1 October 2018.

Jan Ditheridge, said: “We see it as a great opportunity – working in a new way, preparing the ground for future developments, building on the local expertise, reputation and relationships we already have for delivering out of hours and community care.

“This joint working relationship will provide stability, preserving what is good about our Out of Hours services while providing greater opportunity for quality improvements, job and career pathway developments for our staff, and better outcomes for patients and their families.

“Both organisations already have a track record of working in partnership with the other health care and voluntary sector organisations in Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin, and expect this will only strengthen those ties, reducing duplication and handovers for patients.”

Dr Russell Muirhead, Chairman of Shropdoc, added: “Both Shropcom and ourselves are passionate about high quality patient care in the community setting.

“The joint relationship will support improved urgent care service design and delivery, working collaboratively to ensure best use of resources for our patients.

“As a member of the West Midlands Integrated Urgent Care Alliance we will provide a bridge between local and regional planning for IUCS pathways, acting as an advocate for the needs of the patients in Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin.

“Our locally focussed Integrated Urgent Care Service, led by local GPs and Community staff, will draw on the expertise and shared resources of local Emergency, General Practice and Hospital care providers, to ensure continued innovation.”