Residents asked to share their views on the GP Out of Hours Service for the County

Residents across the county are being asked to share their views on the General Practice (GP) Out of Hours Service as part of plans to secure a new contract, say health bosses at NHS Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin (NHS STW).

The GP Out of Hours Service for the residents of Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin, currently delivered by ShropDoc, provides medical care outside of General Practice core hours. As part of NHS STW’s commissioning responsibilities, there is a need to re-procure the service in line with its statutory and legal duties.

The official procurement process is due to begin in September 2024, with a contract potentially being awarded to the successful bidder for a period of up to five-years.

Potential providers, that are suitably qualified and experienced, are now being invited to submit expressions of interest for the GP Out of Hours Service which will enable NHS STW to understand what options for the service are currently available.

As part of the process, NHS STW has launched a county-wide engagement exercise, running until Sunday 15th September 2024, to gain important patient and resident feedback which will be used to inform the service design.

For anyone who would like to share their views on what works well and what could be improved, please complete the following short survey which will take around five to ten minutes: https://forms.office.com/e/pijyKGv98b.

If you would prefer to complete this survey in an alternative format, you can request this by emailing [email protected].

Gemma Smith, Director of Commissioning at NHS Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin, said: “Work is currently underway by NHS STW to re-procure the GP Out of Hours Service. This is part of our usual commissioning business cycle.

“Taking our statutory duties into account, we are progressing with a formal procurement process whilst recognising the crucial role that the GP Out of Hours plays within the local health and care system.

“Our intention is to minimise any impact on our patients and residents as far as possible and we are committed on ensuring continued good access for patients”.

Please note, this procurement is for the GP Out of Hours Service provided on behalf of people living in Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin only.