Have your say on future of GP out-of-hours services

Representatives from the Health and Social Care Board and the Northern Local Commissioning Group will facilitate the public meetings. The meeting in the Northern area will be on Tuesday, September 4 at 6.30 pm, Ballymena Showgrounds, Warden Street, Ballymena.

John Compton, Chief Executive at the Health and Social Care Board, said: “We are inviting local people to come along to these consultation meetings in order to ask questions and give their views on the GP Out-of-Hours Strategic Framework. We have organised a number of meetings across Northern Ireland to gauge people’s views and want to reach as many people as we can before the consultation period ends on 28 September 2012.

“As a first point of contact for the public, GP out-of-hours services provide urgent advice, care and treatment at times when GP surgeries are closed. Significant improvements have already been implemented in relation to processes, commissioning and quality standards for service delivery. The Strategic Framework complements and enhances this work and provides further opportunities to improve services.

“It is vital that local people have their say on the Framework and ask any questions they have on the developments outlined for the future. These public meetings enable the public and key stakeholders to contribute their views to the future design and configuration of GP Out-of-Hours Services. Everyone is welcome so please come along, find out more and have your say.”

The consultation which began on Monday, June 25 will end on Friday, September 28. The consultation documentation can be accessed in the Consultations section of the www.hscboard.hscni.net website. Alternatively the documentation can be requested by email at [email protected].