Local GPs are doing a huge amount of work to care and treat our community. And earlier this year I ran a survey as I wanted to hear your experiences of how this is translating to you and your family in terms of appointments. Thank you to everyone who took part and share your experiences.
Last week I held a roundtable with local GP’s and practice managers, to discuss the results of survey and the progress they are making concerning the recovery since the pandemic – and there was good news! Local GPs across Sevenoaks and Swanley are providing more appointments than prior to 2019, which is brilliant. And, I want to start by saying a huge thank you to the doctors, nurses, GP practice managers and their teams for all their hard work in achieving in.
What was clear from the survey is that sadly some patients at specific surgeries are still having difficulty booking appointments and do not always fully understand the processes that surgeries now employ in order to triage healthcare.
I asked about this at the meeting and GPs were clear that triaging is important as it seeks to ensures patients are seen with the appropriate level of urgency and by the appropriate healthcare provider. Nurse Practitioners and the new Pharmacy First Service means patients with common ailments can be treated quicker, which free’s up GPs time for the more complicated cases.
GP’s also agreed with me that they wanted more buildings provided for GP surgeries as part of new housing developments, which I will continue to champion.
It is vital that services in this area are as good as they can be, and by working together we can achieve this. But if you have any concerns or issues please do get in touch with my office at [email protected].
Finally, last week we received the excellent news that our campaign to reinstate the #477 bus, which travels from Swanley to Darenth Valley Hospital and Bluewater, has moved a step closer, with a six-month trial commencing in the summer. This is fantastic news and will make a huge difference to local residents. There is a similar lack of a bus service between Sevenoaks to Pembury Hospital, and I am also seeking to put this right. I will keep you all updated.
