PEOPLE will soon have easier access to a wider range of health services at more times than before under exciting changes to local GP services, says the NHS North East Hampshire and Farnham Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG).

Patients might see a physiotherapist, a pharmacist or a paramedic without the need to see their GP first. They will also be able to send an email consultation to their GP at any time, without having to go to the surgery, and get a response back within two working days.

The changes are all part of the work being led by NHS North East Hampshire and Farnham CCG, which plans and funds the majority of healthcare services for the area’s population.

Dr Andy Whitfield, clinical chair of the CCG, said: “Since early 2015 North East Hampshire and Farnham has been at the forefront of developing and testing new ways of delivering health services as part of NHS England’s vanguard programme.

“We are now seeing some real progress as a result of this and patients who might previously have struggled to get to see their GP, or who might have had to be referred for the treatment they needed, now have more options available to them to enable quicker and simpler access to the right medical professional to suit their needs.

“The new systems will not only benefit patients. They will also provide GPs with more capacity for them to devote more time to patients with complex and chronic needs.”

The changes include receptionists making patient appointments with enhanced physiotherapists at GP surgeries, clinical pharmacists working with surgeries and reviewing patient medication, paramedic practitioners carrying out home visits, online patient consultations available with GPs, the opening of the young persons’ mental health safe haven, the creation of urgent care centres to allow for urgent same-day appointments, and extended opening hours on weekdays and at weekends.

The CCG has produced a video to explain some of the main changes it has been making to services. It can be viewed online at www.northeasthampshire

andfarnhamccg.nhs.uk/news-events/videos .

Dr Steven Clarke, the CCG’s clinical director for primary and planned care, said: “There is a huge amount of work taking place across our GP services to ensure we can give local people the best services today and in the future.

“The changes highlighted in our video are just a few of the many pieces of work we are doing and I would urge people to watch this video as it explains what we have been doing, why and how patients benefit from the changes.”

The CCG added GP surgeries across North East Hampshire and Farnham are working hard to ensure that all of the new services are available to all local people within the next few months.