The six Health and Social Care Partnerships (HSCPs) across NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHSGGC) offer a range of mental health and wellbeing services, including for those with diagnosed mental illness and psychiatric care needs. For example, Primary Care Mental Health Teams (PCMHT) help people with mental health problems that will benefit from ‘talking’ therapies. Community Mental Health Teams (CMHT) work with people with more complex or longer lasting mental health issues, possibly needing medication. There are also a number of specialist services to meet a range of specific needs including crisis, trauma, drugs and alcohol, eating disorders, and psychotherapy.
Practitioners from a range of professional backgrounds work within these teams and include psychiatrists, psychologists and cognitive behavioural therapists, community psychiatric nurses, occupational therapists, social workers, community development workers, support workers and administrative staff.
Strategy
Services to help people with their mental health are being redesigned to enable us to respond and better support people experiencing mental illness.
The NHSGGC Mental Health Strategy 2023-28 proposes a system of stepped/matched care, with people entering at the right level of intensity of treatment and allowing for movement through different levels of care. It aims to:
Shift the balance of care into the community and better meet the needs of the patients, as more people access care through expanded community-based services.
Deliver prevention and early intervention; including mental wellbeing and suicide prevention training for all staff, expanding computerised Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (cCBT) services and supporting Wellbeing in primary care.
Develop the focus on Recovery across community teams and inpatient settings.
Improve the effectiveness of community services; including developing group based Psychological Therapies, offering Patient Initiated Follow Up (PIFU) which gives people control over return appointments, such as when symptoms or circumstances change, reducing appointments of low clinical value.
Develop Unscheduled Care; Mental Health Assessment Units diverting people with Mental Health problems who do not require physical / medical treatment from Emergency Departments, community mental health acute care services offering intense support as an alternative to hospital admission and commissioned services to provide help to people in distress where a non-clinical response is more appropriate.
The ongoing and proposed range of community developments represents new ways of working across primary, secondary and community services. They will improve care across the whole spectrum of mental health problems, but importantly and mainly for those with the most severe and complex mental disorder.
The NHSGGC strategy contributes to delivering the Scottish Government’s 2023 Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy.
Feedback from those who have used services
Mental health services intend to continue to improve the way psychiatric and wider mental health services are delivered in future, by responding to what people have told us, redesigning services and changing how staff work with people who access care.
We have previously asked people who access services, carers and family members about what matters to them the most when they need to use the services we provide.
In summary, people who use mental health services told us what matters is that staff and services:
Take time with them and listen to them
Take care of people, look after them and make sure they get the right treatment when they need it
Explain all they need to know and involve them in decision making
Are knowledgeable, safe and can be trusted
Show they care, are compassionate and show empathy
Are friendly, kind, competent and staff are professional
Communicate with the people who matter to them regarding their progress and condition
Provide good continuity of care and well-managed frequent service delivery in relation to their needs, at the right time and at the right intensity
Offer assertive community treatment and respond more adequately to people’s diverse social, psychological and biological needs as opposed to being hospitalised.
We intend to build on previous and informal work already undertaken and now want to:
Sense check what people have previously told us and identify anything new or changed.
Better understand what matters to people with protected characteristics.
Seek to engage with more people to help us with the next phase of engagement.
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHSGGC) is committed to using feedback to improve the quality of our mental health services. This helps us better understand what is currently working well, and what needs to improve.
Reading some of this may have an emotional impact on you.
Support is always available, and some of the national sources of help are listed here.
Mind to Mind – If you’re feeling anxious, stressed or low, or having problems sleeping or dealing with grief, find out how you can improve your mental wellbeing by hearing what others have found helpful by visiting the NHS Inform Mind to Mind webpage.
Breathing Space is Scotland’s free, confidential listening service for individuals over 16 experiencing symptoms of low mood, depression or anxiety. You can contact them on 0800 83 85 87 Monday to Thursday from 6.00pm to 2.00am and 24 hours a day at weekends (from 6.00pm Friday to 6.00am Monday).
Samaritans provide confidential, non-judgmental emotional support 24/7 for people who are experiencing feelings of distress or despair. You can contact Samaritans free by phoning 116 123 or emailing jo@samaritans.org
NHS 24 Mental Health Hub services are available to everyone in Scotland. The services available include listening, offering advice and guiding you to further help if required. The Mental Health Hub is open 24/7 and you can contact them on 111.
Childline is a free service for children and young people for when they need support or advice. It is open 24/7, and there are many ways to get help. You can call 0800 1111 or visit the Childline website.
Please note this survey is now closed, if you would still like to share your experience of the GP Out of Hours service please email us at Public.Involvement@ggc.scot.nhs.uk or you can share your experience on Care Opinion.
We are committed to delivering high quality healthcare services that meet the needs of our people and communities.
The GP Out of Hours (GPOOH) service in NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde provides urgent care to patients when their regular GP service is closed. These services are designed to handle non-life-threatening medical issues that require attention outside regular working hours, such as evenings, weekends, and public holidays.
Background
In February 2020, NHSGGC reduced the number of centres the GP Out of Hours service was provided from to help stabilise the service because of significant unplanned closures.
The move allowed the service to develop a sustainable model that took account of wider changes in healthcare due to the COVID-19 pandemic, including a move from face to face to initial remote and virtual appointments where appropriate.
These changes occurred during a period of major transformation when the NHS had to adapt rapidly to meet the unprecedented challenges of a global pandemic. Significant changes were implemented in a very short period to disrupt community transmission of COVID-19, including a move to a digital first approach to patient consultation.
In February 2020, the GP Out of Hours service faced difficulties in covering shifts across all GP Out of Hours Centres, which meant that the service faced unplanned closures. The number of centres was temporarily reduced to maintain the service and make it more stable and sustainable. Since then, GP Out of Hours has developed the service helping it move to a more stable, appointment-based model, accessed by calling NHS24 on 111. This means we can help people get the right care in the right place.
Current GPOOH Service
The GP Out of Hours service has developed with ongoing patient engagement during the past 3 years helping it move to a more stable, appointment-based model, accessed by calling NHS24 on 111.
This means we can help people get the right care in the right place.
Patients can access the GPOOH service in the evenings, overnight and across the whole weekend and public holidays by contacting NHS 24 on 111.
If you require urgent non-life threatening care after your GP has closed you should phone NHS24 on 111.
Trained call handlers at NHS24 will assess your needs and if clinically appropriate will refer you to the GP Out of Hours service.
This new system also means that, where appropriate, patients can speak to a clinician over the phone or via a virtual consultation from the comfort of their own home, meaning they don’t have to travel to an urgent out of hours care centre.
Feedback from those who have used the service
We have continued to evolve and test the development of the service with extensive feedback from patients using the service. In the most recent feedback, 87% of people responding rated their care as either ‘good’ or ‘excellent’ with 93% of respondents also stating the service met their needs.
Ways to get involved
Please note this survey is now closed, if you would still like to share your experience of the GP Out of Hours service please email us at Public.Involvement@ggc.scot.nhs.uk or you can share your experience on Care Opinion.
23rd October 10.00am – 12.00pm – Springburn Health Centre pop up engagement event
2nd November 10.00am – 12.00pm – Parkhead Health Centre pop up engagement event
Frequently Asked Questions
FAQs
What is GP Out of Hours?
The GP Out of Hours service in NHSGGC provides urgent primary care to patients out with normal GP surgery hours, in evenings, at weekends and during public holidays. This is accessed by calling NHS 24 on 111.
How do I access GP Out of Hours?
Patients can access the GPOOH service in the evenings, overnight and across the whole weekend and public holidays by contacting NHS 24 on 111.
Trained call handlers at NHS24 will assess the needs and if clinically appropriate will refer the patient to the GPOOH service.
This new system means that, where appropriate, patients can speak to a clinician over the phone or via a virtual consultation from the comfort of their own home, meaning they don’t have to travel to an urgent out of hours care centre.
Why do I have to phone NHS 24?
With all patients being channelled through NHS 24 as a first point of contact, we can ensure that people are directed to the most appropriate type of care within the right environment, at the right time.
We have a fully integrated a telephone triage system into the patient care pathway, meaning where appropriate, patients can speak to a clinician over the phone or via a virtual consultation and may not even have to travel to an urgent out of hours care centre.
Where are the GP Out of Hours Centres?
There are currently GP Out of Hours Centres at:
Inverclyde Royal Hospital (Partial weekend cover and bank holiday.)
New Victoria Hospital
New Stobhill Hospital
Royal Alexandra Hospital
Vale of Leven (Lomond)
Will people have to travel further to attend GP Out of hours?
If you need a face-to-face appointment, you may be asked to attend a GP Out of Hours centre outwith your local area. If you cannot travel, we can also offer home visiting options, and for those who need support to get to a centre, patient transport can be arranged.
What happens if you are not able to travel to attend an appointment?
If you cannot travel, we can also offer home visiting options and for those who need support to get to a centre and patient transport can be arranged.
Why can I not just turn up to be seen?
With all patients being channelled through NHS 24 as a first point of contact, we can ensure that people are directed to the most appropriate type of care within the right environment, at the right time.
We have a fully integrated a telephone triage system into the patient care pathway, meaning where appropriate, patients can speak to a clinician over the phone or via a virtual consultation and may not even have to travel to an urgent out of hours care centre. Over half of our consultations are now carried out remotely within your own home. This ensures you can be seen by the right clinical person for your care. Being seen in the home setting also reduces waiting times, travel time and infection control risks.
Is patient transport available to all patients?
Patient Transport is available to all patients. At time of arranging an appointment for a centre, the administrative staff will discuss travel arrangements to the centre for the patient. Any patients who indicate they don’t have transport means to travel to centre will be routinely offered patient transport. There is no charge for this service.
Can patient be accompanied on patient transport?
Carers can get the transport and child seats are also available and patient transport now includes accessibility for wheelchair users.
Is return transport to get patient home available?
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHSGGC) listens and learns from people’s experiences of services. These experiences help us to understand what we are doing well, and where we could be doing better.
To support the involvement of people in its work NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde works toward the aims of its Stakeholder Communication and Engagement Strategy.
These aims are:
Empower staff and teams to have ongoing engagement with people in an open and honest manner. Ensure that the public voice is at the heart of all service planning, improvements, and developments.
Provide the opportunity for people from all our diverse communities to share their experiences. Ensure all our work is inspired and shaped by people’s views.
Enable people to voice their views, needs and wishes and contribute to plans, proposals, and decisions about services.
The PEPI team will be adding additional case studies and insights into involvement activity taking place across NHSGGC throughout the year. If you would like to get in touch for advice or help with any involvement, please reach out to the PEPI Team through this contact form. You can share examples of involvement for next year’s report by emailing: public.involvement@ggc.scot.nhs.uk
Case Study One: Occupational Therapy East Dunbartonshire HSCP, Themed Family Events
Teams across NHSGGC are continually working to listen and learn from their patients and service users. They do so through a wide range of tools to capture feedback to more formal support or engagement activities. The following story provides insight into the range of work undertaken by the Specialist Occupational Therapist Team to engage with service users.
The Specialist Occupational Therapist Team support children aged between five and 12 years of age with significant mental health issues. The team wanted to support skill development amongst young people and provide opportunities for family members to reconnect with the ward as it opened up. Up to 16 people attended each event where young people were encouraged to lead and plan a variety of themed events such as Halloween, Christmas and Cinema where they could invite their parents to attend, share their progress and mix with other parents and carers in an informal way to help reduce feelings of isolation while increasing support for all involved. Due to the positive feedback, there are now plans for regular events throughout the year, alongside regular coffee mornings for people to share their experiences. The focus will remain on providing a safe space for families to relax, have fun and socialise together whilst allowing the children time to put their illnesses aside and enjoy some normality.
You can read about more examples of involvement in the NHSGGC Engagement and Involvement Overview report below and get help and advice with your own engagement from the PEPI team here.
Case Study Two: Care at the Centre for Integrative Care, Evaluation of Services
The following short case study provides an insight into the work undertaken by the NHS Centre for Integrative Care Team to engage with service users and ensure their views and experiences can shape the services they access. The service invited patients and carers attending the service to participate in a short survey that asked three questions:
1. Focusing on people’s experience of their visit
2. What went well
3. Any suggestions for improvements.
The service received feedback from 262 people while undertaking the survey (September-November 2022). The feedback showed overwhelmingly positive responses, with comments on friendliness and empathy of staff, from receptionist to clinicians.
Alongside the positive feedback, the feedback also captured suggestions for improvements. These have led to positive discussions within the Multidisciplinary Team on how to take these forward in a safe and effective manner with some of the topics focusing on:
• Requests for appointment times to be longer
• Changes to allow more time to sit quietly in a room when a group was finished.
You can read about more examples of involvement in the NHSGGC Engagement and Involvement Overview report below and get help and advice with your own engagement from the PEPI team here.
Case Study Three: Flow Navigation Centre (FNC), Evaluating Care via NHS Near Me
The following case study provides insight into the work that has been undertaken by the Flow Navigation team in partnership with the PEPI Team to engage with patients, carers and communities across NHSGGC on their experiences of this new approach to care.
The Flow Navigation Centre (FNC) is a nurse led service providing a Virtual Care Pathway to people across NHSGGC. This service aims to provide health advice, self-care and reassurance from nursing staff and avoid unnecessary visits to physical sites. You can learn more about this service here.
Building on work carried out in 2021/22 to better understand the patient experience, the PEPI Team refined and embedded the evaluation into the Near Me platform. The FNC sees around 90% of their patients via Near Me allowing a robust routine evaluation opportunity to be provided through this method.
Embedding the survey as an end of call pop up, alongside a change to how staff close a consultation has seen 577 responses received between February and March 2023 with more than 99% of responders reporting they would make use of the Near Me service in the future.
You can read about more examples of involvement in the NHSGGC Engagement and Involvement Overview report below and get help and advice with your own engagement from the PEPI team here.
Case Study Four: West of Scotland Adult Cystic Fibrosis Service, Video Call Fatigue
West of Scotland (WoS) Adult Cystic Fibrosis Team worked with PEPI to engage with patients on the changes to the outpatient model delivered mostly remotely under COVID-19 restrictions. Feedback was provided by 58 patients indicating a high degree of confidence, comfort and understanding regarding the remote outpatient appointments, feeling listened to and being treated with compassion and understanding scored particularly highly.
Some of the areas of concern included outpatient appointments not including a physical check and the importance of maintaining close relationships with the staff in the clinics. Choice and flexibility were identified as key areas of importance by patients, and this has been taken on board by the team and the feedback is being used to design future appointment pathways. The patient engagement work undertaken by the team is also being showcased as an example of good practice at the 46th European Cystic Fibrosis Conference in Vienna in June 2023.
You can read about more examples of involvement in the NHSGGC Engagement and Involvement Overview report below and get help and advice with your own engagement from the PEPI team here.
Case Study Five: Glasgow City HSCP: Engaging on a Primary Care Improvement Plan (PCIP)
Engaging with stakeholders was a valuable opportunity for Primary Care contractors, staff and patients to share their thoughts and suggestions for improving primary care services within Glasgow City HSCP and influence the PCIP 2023 – 2026.
During a four month period a range of methods and approaches were used including online and in person meetings, social media surveys, attendance at appropriate Glasgow City HSCP events, pop up stands in health centres (pop up stands were held in Govanhill Health Centre, Gorbals Health Centre and Maryhill Health Centre) where the Primary Care Improvement Team (PCIT) engaged with staff and patients.
Members of the public shared 122 responses which contributed to the development of the PCIP including eight broad recommendations identified that will be used to help shape the final Glasgow City PCIP 2023-2026 (due to be presented in June 2023). This work is ongoing at the time of writing, but the engagement with the public and wider stakeholders was invaluable to the service in shaping the development of the PCIP.
You can read about more examples of involvement in the NHSGGC Engagement and Involvement Overview report below and get help and advice with your own engagement from the PEPI team here.
Case Study Six: West of Scotland Mother and Baby Unit: Evaluating their MDT Approach
The following case study provides insight into the work that has been undertaken by the West of Scotland Mother and Baby Unit (MBU) at Leverndale Hospital embarked on an initiative to assess and enhance their Multidisciplinary Team (MDT) approach. The primary objective was to elevate the person-centeredness of care provided to mothers in the region.
The team initiated the project by developing a patient questionnaire to gauge current experiences of care. Through approximately 50 patient interviews, the team gathered valuable feedback to help in refining their care processes. This iterative approach not only provided insights into patient satisfaction but also reassured staff that their efforts were contributing to effective care delivery.
Key findings from the patient feedback showcased improvements in communication, with patients expressing a greater sense of comfort in speaking to doctors. The limited number of people involved in discussions facilitated more meaningful interactions. The MDT approach evolved to include family members actively in discussions and decision-making processes, resulting in more holistic and supportive care. Patients reported experiencing less distress, attributing it to the person-centered, inclusive, and compassionate nature of the care provided.
The team used the feedback as a catalyst for positive changes in service delivery, ensuring that patient voices remained central to MDT conversations. This not only led to tangible improvements in patient experiences but also provided the team with a rewarding opportunity to directly engage with patients, reinforcing the significance of patient perspectives in healthcare practices.
You can read about more examples of involvement in the NHSGGC Engagement and Involvement Overview report below and get help and advice with your own engagement from the PEPI team here.
Case Study Seven: NHSGGC eHealth: Developing an eMedicines Citizens Reference Group
The following case study provides insight into the work that has been undertaken by the eMedicines Programme with to develop a Citizens Reference Group, marking a significant step towards incorporating direct citizen input into various eHealth initiatives, with a primary focus on patient medicines processes.
The initial meeting of the group occurred in early 2023, with a meeting between 13 NHSGGC citizens. This meeting aimed to engage, facilitate, and support citizen perspectives, ensuring their experiences were able to shape the ongoing work of the eMedicines Programme. Plans were set for quarterly meetings throughout 2023 to sustain this collaborative dialogue.
The attendees, contributed their unique experiences, providing valuable feedback, with their direct engagement citizens not only shed light on current patient experiences with medicines processes but also served as a way to ensure any approaches were person centred.
You can read about more examples of involvement in the NHSGGC Engagement and Involvement Overview report below and get help and advice with your own engagement from the PEPI team here.
Case Study Eight: Chronic Pain Service – Engaging Black and Minority Ethnic Communities
The following case study provides insight into the work that has been undertaken by the NHSGGC Chronic Pain Management and Diabetes services, in collaboration with the Equalities and Human Rights Team, to improve service accessibility for BME communities through targeted engagement.
Through one-on-one interviews and group discussions involving 39 participants from BME backgrounds, the services gathered valuable feedback on barriers to access and understanding of the services offered. The engagement efforts led to significant improvements in service delivery, including enhanced multi-language support and more accessible, easy-to-understand systems. This initiative exemplifies NHSGGC’s commitment to inclusivity and patient-centred care across all our communities.
You can read about more examples of involvement in the NHSGGC Engagement and Involvement Overview report below and get help and advice with your own engagement from the PEPI team here.
Case Study Nine: Glasgow Royal Infirmary Dietician Service – Pictorial Care Evaluation
The following case study provides insight into the work that has been undertaken by dieticians at Glasgow Royal Infirmary sought to make it easier for patients to provide feedback on the service, particularly focusing on therapy provided to patients on the major trauma ward.
The team implemented abbreviated pictorial care measures, utilizing image-based care measures across five questions to simplify the feedback process. The trial showed promise in enhancing patient engagement and informing service improvements. The initiative demonstrated a creative approach to capturing patient experiences, contributing to the continuous improvement of patient care and staff development.
You can read about more examples of involvement in the NHSGGC Engagement and Involvement Overview report below and get help and advice with your own engagement from the PEPI team here.
Case Study 10: NHSGGC Peer Worker Programme
The Equalities and Human Rights Team (EHRT) at NHSGGC developed and implemented a comprehensive community-led engagement proposal. Throughout 2022/23, the team successfully recruited a peer coordinator, 12 peer workers, and four volunteer peer supporters to carry out engagement activities with peer groups across NHSGGC.
The engagement focused on collaborating with third sector partners and community groups to arrange both online and face-to-face events. These sessions reached 993 members of the public across 26 sessions, providing crucial health information and capturing valuable feedback on people’s experiences.
The peer workers played a pivotal role in these engagements, empowering community members by referring them to essential services such as emergency food supplies, assistance with rising energy costs, and money advice services. One of the significant outcomes of this programme was the need for information to be provided in an additional 19 languages, ensuring inclusivity and accessibility.
Moreover, the feedback led to tangible changes, including the improvement of drop-in vaccination clinic accessibility and modifications to the mobile vaccination bus, aimed at supporting increased vaccination uptake.
This initiative highlights the EHRT’s commitment to addressing health inequalities and improving health outcomes through community engagement and support. For more detailed information on a wide range of engagement activities, please refer to the NHSGGC Engagement and Involvement Overview report.
Case Study 11: Glasgow City HSCP Engagement on Primary Care Improvement Plan (PCIP)
Glasgow City Health and Social Care Partnership (HSCP) undertook an extensive engagement process to gather insights and suggestions from Primary Care contractors, staff, and patients for the Primary Care Improvement Plan (PCIP) 2023-2026. This engagement spanned four months and utilised various methods to ensure comprehensive stakeholder involvement.
The Primary Care Improvement Team (PCIT) employed a range of approaches, including online and in-person meetings, social media surveys, and attendance at relevant Glasgow City HSCP events. Additionally, pop-up stands were set up in health centres such as Govanhill Health Centre, Gorbals Health Centre, and Maryhill Health Centre, where PCIT members directly engaged with staff and patients.
Throughout this period, 122 responses were collected from the public, contributing significantly to the development of the PCIP. Eight broad recommendations emerged from this feedback, which are set to shape the final Glasgow City PCIP 2023-2026, which were scheduled for presentation in June 2023.
Although this work is ongoing, the engagement with the public and wider stakeholders has proven invaluable in informing and shaping the development of the PCIP. This initiative underscores the importance of stakeholder input in enhancing primary care services.
For more detailed information on our engagement activities, please refer to the NHSGGC Engagement and Involvement Overview report.
Learn more about our Engagement and Involvement work
2022 – 23 Engagement and Involvement Overview Report
The examples of engagement included in this report were shared by teams across NHSGGC and Health and Social Care Partnerships (HSCPs). Examples used are categorised into three areas of involvement:
2021 – 22 Engagement and Involvement Overview Report
The examples of engagement included in this report were shared by teams across NHSGGC and Health and Social Care Partnerships (HSCPs). Examples used are categorised into three areas of involvement:
Empower staff and teams to have ongoing engagement
Achieve the best representative views from our diverse communities
If you would like to get involved or have an example of best practice from your own service then contact the PEPI team at public.involvement@ggc.scot.nhs.uk
Care Opinion is an independent, not-for-profit website, where people can provide anonymous feedback to NHS boards and services about their experience of care. It is intended to complement NHS Boards’ processes for dealing with feedback and complaints.
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde’s Patient Experience Public Involvement Team and Care Opinion
The Patient Experience Public Involvement (PEPI) Team supports clinical teams and services to implement and manage Care Opinion at a local level.
We:
Manage the Care Opinion subscription for NHSGGC (e.g. add people as responders, deal with day to day queries)
Work in collaboration and liaise with the Care Opinion Team
Provide regular reports to NHSGGC’s Care and Clinical Governance Committee (CCGC) on how we are using Care Opinion; what we hear from patients and families and what changes and improvements services are making as a result
Provide advice, support and training to staff
Why use Care Opinion?
The Patient Rights (Scotland) Act 2011 introduced the right for people to give feedback, comments, concerns, and complaints about the services they receive. As part of this Act all NHS staff have a legal duty to actively encourage, monitor, take action and share learning from the feedback they receive and use it to improve care and services.
Care Opinion is one of our main feedback mechanisms in NHSGGC and can help us to understand what it feels like for patients, carers and their relatives who use our services. It can highlight good practice and levels of satisfaction with the care and treatment people have received which can help boost staff morale. It is also an opportunity to learn and understand what is going wrong in the system, and identify areas where we need to improve.
There are 2 types of subscription on Care Opinion.
Members – can read posts and be signed up to receive email alerts for posts about a particular site or specialty. They can also produce reports and ‘visualisation’ (interactive graphics which show Care Opinion data). You can also access online Care Opinion training sessions. If you would like to become a member please email PatientExperience@ggc.scot.nhs.uk
Responders – can read and respond to posts, as well as being able to produce reports and visualisations. If you would like to become a responder please speak to your Senior Manager for their approval (Chief Nurse, General Manager or Clinical Service Manager). Please note: to become a responder, you must attend a 90 minute training session.
Care Opinion Responder Training
If you would like to become a responder on Care Opinion, and have approval from your Senior Management Team we ask that you attend a 90 minute training session. This session is delivered via Microsoft Teams. The next session will be on Tuesday 30th April 2024 at 10.00am.
We have found that the most effective way to gather more feedback from Care Opinion is by promoting it at a ward or service level.
To help you do this, the PEPI team receive a small allocation of posters each year. If you would like some posters please email us at PatientExperience@ggc.scot.nhs.uk
Thank you for taking the time to open this short survey, you can scroll through the survey and page below. If you run into any issues with the survey please open a new copy on its own page here: A&E Survey
If you take part in the public consultation exercise your response will be included in the Consultation Analysis Report (CAR), which is shared with all parties in the application process.
Consultation Analysis Report (CAR)
The Consultation Analysis Report (CAR) is a factual statement on how the public consultation was carried out, the questions that were asked and a summary of the responses received. The report also contains the numbers of replies received, the level of support and is jointly produced and agreed by the Health Board (HB) and the applicant.
It is at this point that the applicant will decide either to make a formal application for a new pharmacy or not to move forward with an application. For those that do not move forward, the process is finished.
For those who do move forward to a formal application, the HB’s Pharmacy Practices Committee (PPC) hears the new pharmacy application and takes into consideration the CAR when making their decision. How they used the CAR in their decision is explained within the record of the PPC meeting.
New Application Information
Where an applicant decides to move forward to formal application, they must submit their application within 90 days from the end of the public consultation. The application is then checked to make sure it is complete and meets all regulation requirements.
The Health Board (HB) then carries out a further consultation which is required by the pharmacy regulations.
Firstly, a copy of the application is sent to existing pharmacies around the proposed pharmacy, the Health Board’s Area Medical Committee, Area Pharmaceutical Committee, and the local Community Council’s nominated community representative. If the proposed pharmacy is within two kilometres from a neighbouring Health Board boundary, it is also shared with that Board. These parties are invited to comment on the application and all responses received within 30 days are considered by the Pharmacy Practices Committee (PPC).
The PPC is made up of seven members:
Chair (non Executive member of the HB);
3 lay members (nominated by the HB);
1 non contractor pharmacist member (nominated by the Area Pharmaceutical Committee);
2 Contractor pharmaceutical members (nominated by the Area Pharmaceutical Committee).
Normally the PPC holds an oral hearing to consider an application. The applicant, other pharmacies, committees and the nominated community representative are invited to attend the hearing, but only if they have made written comments following notification of the application.
The hearing is usually held in a place near to the proposed new pharmacy. Invites are sent out a few weeks in advance and the applicant, other pharmacies, committees and the nominated community representative are able to speak to the PPC and put forward their case.
The, regulations require the PPC to apply what is known as ‘the legal test’ to decide whether granting the application would be “necessary or desirable in order to secure adequate provision of pharmaceutical services in the neighbourhood in which the premises are located by persons whose names are included in the pharmaceutical list”.
Before the PPC can apply this test they must consider a range of issues including (but not restricted to):
What are the boundaries of the neighbourhood (i.e. the local area) surrounding the proposed pharmacy?
What pharmacy services are currently provided to/within that neighbourhood by existing community pharmacies?
The content of the HB’s Pharmaceutical Care Services plan.
The content of the Consultation Analysis Report (CAR).
Comments received from pharmacies, committees and the nominated community representative following notification of the application.
The likely long term sustainability of the proposed pharmacy. .
The answers to these questions will allow the PPC to decide:
Whether the current provision of pharmacy services to/within the neighbourhood is adequate.
If the current provision is not adequate, whether it is necessary to grant the application in order to secure an adequate pharmacy service within the neighbourhood.
If the current provision is not adequate, whether it is desirable to grant the application in order to secure an adequate pharmacy service within the neighbourhood.
The PPC is an expert panel and uses information heard at the hearing, and provided within their papers to make their decision.
Once the PPC make their decision they make a report for the Health Board that is sent within 10 working days of the hearing. The decision is sent to all those who attended the hearing and is also published on the HB’s public website within five working days of the Board receiving the PPCs report.
The PPC’s decision can be appealed by either the applicant or any other invited hearing attendee within 21 days from the date the decision is sent out by the HB.
The Pharmacy Practices Committee (PPC)
The Pharmacy Practices Committee (PPC)
After this consultation, the application is considered by the PPC which decides if an application is successful or not. The PPC is made up of seven members:
Chair (non Executive member of the HB);
3 lay members (nominated by the HB);
1 non contractor pharmacist member (nominated by the Area Pharmaceutical Committee); and
2 contractor pharmacist members (nominated by the Area Pharmaceutical Committee).
The PPC normally hold an oral hearing to consider the application. The applicant attends this hearing along with anyone consulted during the second consultation exercise and who wrote to the HB about the application.
The PPC applies the statutory test to decide whether granting the application would be “necessary or desirable in order to secure adequate provision of pharmaceutical services in the neighbourhood in which the premises are located by persons whose names are included in the pharmaceutical list”.
In order to apply this test the PPC will give consideration to a range of factors including (but not restricted to):
What are the boundaries of the neighbourhood (the local area) surrounding the proposed pharmacy premises location.
What pharmaceutical services are currently provided to/within that neighbourhood by existing community pharmacies.
The content of the HB’s Pharmaceutical Care Services plan.
The content of the Consultation Analysis Report.
Representations received during the second consultation exercise.
The likely long term sustainability of the pharmaceutical services proposed by the applicant.
Consideration of the factors outlined above will allow the PPC to determine:
Whether the current provision of pharmaceutical services to/within the neighbourhood is adequate.
If the current provision is not adequate, whether it is necessary to grant the application in order to secure an adequate pharmaceutical service within the neighbourhood.
If the current provision is not adequate, whether it is desirable to grant the application in order to secure an adequate pharmaceutical service within the neighbourhood.
There are no set criteria to define each factor. It is the role of the PPC as an expert panel to base its decision on the information available to it as well as presented during the hearing.
Once a decision is reached it is notified in accordance with the regulations and the minute of the hearing published on the HB’s public website, which is available on this web page via the links on the left of this page organised by year.
Whilst the decision of the PPC can be appealed the persons who can appeal are limited to the applicant and those parties consulted and who responded during the second consultation exercise.
Your Response
If you participate in the public consultation exercise your response will be included in the CAR, which is shared with all parties in the application process.
If you are interested opening a new pharmacy please familiarise yourself with the current regulations and associated documents on this page.
If you want further information on the processes involved please call 0141 201 6047.
The regulations require an applicant to link with the Health Board (HB) as part of pre-application process. The applicant and officers from the HB normally arrange a meeting. The HB officers provide help on regulation and process but they do not and cannot give a view on whether a proposal might be subsequently approved. Existing pharmacies may also need to follow the same process when looking to relocate to different premises.
Before the meeting, the applicant provides details about the proposed pharmacy address, services to be provided and opening hours, which allows discussion on how a new pharmacy in the area might address any unmet needs or improve local patient services.
This discussion is to help the applicant to decide whether to move forward with their proposal. If their decision is to move forward, another meeting is arranged to discuss the Joint Consultation exercise.
The joint public consultation exercise is led by the Health Board (HB) working with the applicant. It invites the views of residents and other interested people and organisations within the area where the proposed premises are located and measures their support for the opening of a new pharmacy at this address.
The exercise must invite views on the following issues:
The pharmacy services the applicant wants to provide;
Views about gaps in the current pharmacy services available;
How the new pharmacy might impact on current NHS services within the identified local area;
The level of support (or not) for the application.
New pharmacy consultations must be advertised in the newspaper with the highest circulation within the local area.
Where an existing pharmacy wants to relocate a poster will be displayed in the current pharmacy premises.
The advert and/or poster will let you know how you can take part in the consultation. Normally this will be by completing an electronic questionnaire which you can access through the HB’s website. The link to this questionnaire will appear clearly in the advert and/or poster.
If you do not have access to a computer, a paper version of the questionnaire will be also available. For those who need it, the questionnaire will be available in large font, Braille and other languages. Detail on how to get a paper questionnaire will appear clearly in the advert and/or poster.
General comments are also welcomed and details on how to do this will appear clearly in the advert and/or poster.
The HB also writes to the following to get a community view:
Elected representatives for the area where the proposed pharmacy is located (local councillors, MSPs, and MPs);
Health & Social Care Partnership Local Engagement Network;
the Community Council(s) serving the area where the proposed pharmacy is located; and
Voluntary and 3rd Sector organisations located in or providing services to people living within the area surrounding the proposed premises.
The public consultation lasts for 90 working days (does not include weekends & public holidays) and all responses received by the end of this period are included within the Consultation Analysis Report (CAR). This report details the extent of the consultation and summarises all the replies received.