A PLAN to transform GP services in Farnham has been given the green light by the area’s NHS commissioners.

The governing body of NHS North East Hampshire and Farnham Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), which plans and pays for the majority of health services provided to 220,000 local people, formally signed off the new Primary Care Strategy on September 28.

It seeks to give patients quicker and easier access to urgent and routine GP services when they become ill or injured by using a broad range of health professionals – and for those services to be more joined up.

The strategy also seeks to improve the care of people with chronic or long-term conditions to reduce the pressure on urgent and emergency care services.

Local patient representatives and GPs have already provided feedback as part of the strategy’s design. The next stage is for more in-depth public engagement to take place to shape the plans further.

The strategy puts forward a range of innovations and changes to help meet the growing needs of the area’s population.

It involves GP practices in the area’s five towns – Farnham, Aldershot, Farnborough, Fleet and Yateley – working much more closely together to provide health care to residents. The aim is also to support many more people to improve their own health and wellbeing.

Dr Andy Whitfield, clinical chair of the CCG, said: “The changes described in the plan will help our residents in a number of ways.

“We want to help patients to be as fit and healthy and independent as possible, by promoting a healthy lifestyle and by working with them to nip illness in the bud.

“When they do become ill or injured we want them to have quicker and easier access to urgent and routine GP services – by using a broad range of health professionals – and for those services to be more joined up, so people don’t have to keep repeating their story to a variety of clinicians.

“We will also work more closely with people who have chronic or long-term conditions to help them to better manage their health needs. This improved care will mean their condition is less likely to deteriorate and they will be less dependent on urgent and emergency care services.”

The strategy, which has been several months in the making, was formally approved at the CCG’s governing body meeting in public, at The Holiday Inn, in Farnborough.