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Reducing the Costs of Out-of-Hours GP Services 14 April 2010 The Department of Health has now received a response from the Clinical Lead of MEDS (Dr Richard Hanks) to our consultation on how the costs of operating MEDS might be reduced. The response from Dr Hanks contains comments on a number of ideas for achieving savings, including the closure of MEDS after midnight which, contrary to some media speculation, was only one of a number of ideas for consideration. Dr Hanks has submitted a specific proposal which would achieve savings without reducing the MEDS opening hours and this is now being evaluated. It would not be appropriate to release details of this proposal and the Department’s response before the GPs who provide MEDS cover are advised, which will happen in the next few days. Background Information • The Health Service net budget last year was £108 million (after the non-recurring supplementary vote), this year it is £103 million • The cost of MEDS was £878,000 last year • Of that £878,000, midnight to 8 am costs approximately £300,000 • Staff employed overnight are 1 GP and 1 driver at MEDS, plus an on-call GP at home who can be called in if needed • The average monthly use of MEDS in 2009 was 1559 contacts, the majority of which were phone consultations and in the first 3 months of 2010 the average was 1443 contacts per month. This equates to approximately 50 contacts every 24 hour period with, on average, 7 contacts between midnight and 8 am. Of those 7, 4.5 are phone consultations of which 0.5 (1 every 2 days) will result in a home visit, and 2.5 are attendances at MEDS • If reducing MEDS services was supported, there are a number of other arrangements which could be made including the use of Accident & Emergency and ambulance services • MEDS is the Department of Health-run Out of Hours Service and was established from 1 April 2003. Prior to that, for a number of years, most GPs operated a co-operative arrangement between practices (MannDoc) which ceased when the new GP contract allowed GPs to opt out of providing out of hours care for their patients. • It is confirmed that MEDS covers the whole of the Isle of Man although the Minor Injuries Unit at Ramsey and District Cottage Hospital is also open until 8 pm. More stories >>>
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