GP Services

Quality rather than Quantity

Although the total number of consultations has been slightly less at 870 for the past year, the average doctor patient time has been longer suggesting more detailed problems to sort out compared to previous years. Two of our regular "customers" even became film stars, the video being used as an anonymous tool to help other health care professionals tackle weight loss.

Over this last year there has been a consistent medical service of just one GP (myself) being available to see visitors on Wednesday and Friday mornings (usually 10:30 am to 12 noon, with some flexibility for emergencies). Occasionally, Dr Kath Hunt or Dr Helen Sperry from the Windmill Practice have kindly filled in for me when I've been away on holiday or on study leave; this will continue over the next year.

We have prioritised many needy people who struggle to access health care anywhere else with a high proportion (almost 50%) of those seen being ‘NFA’ (of no fixed abode, who generally speaking, have no GP). We encourage everyone wherever possible to register with a local GP, but we do see visitors who for a variety of reasons are unable to access their own practice, often through no fault of their own.

We have also seen some quality in the therapeutic relationships with our drug user clients in the substance misuse clinic which we run with Jon Manners, from the John Storer Clinic, every Wednesday.

Our main thrust is harm reduction - for example safe prescription drugs rather than injected illicit drugs. Most of those whom we regularly see have done well on maintenance prescriptions and have become a lot more stable as a result. We have seen several visitors come off drugs and/or alcohol altogether this year; others are currently in rehab, but for some it's a bit like the game of snakes & ladders. With the help and resources of the Nottinghamshire County Drug Action Team (DAT), we have been able to respond to new clients with a substance misuse problem probably quicker than any other agency in Nottingham, but even we do have a ceiling of how many we can manage; at present we have 12 on regular scripts and many others that we are signposting towards harm reduction and seeking appropriate help.

It's not just crisis management here - there's often time to explore what good health really means... that's not just the absence of illness, but physical, mental, social and spiritual well-being. We are making active strides to develop the health promotion side, such as smoking cessation, exercise, weight control and good diets. We recognise that we are providing a valuable interim service for a vulnerable group of people: our motto is 'meeting people where they are at and treating them at their point of need’.

Dr Stephen Willott