The report, ‘General Practice Out of Hours Services,’ follows a review by Dr David Colin-Thome, National Clinical Director for Primary Care at the Department of Health and Professor Steve Field, Chairman of Council, Royal College of General Practitioners. 

The review looked at current arrangements for out-of-hours services.  It found that there are already robust requirements in place to ensure the commissioning and delivery of safe, high quality out-of-hours services, but that there is unacceptable variation in how these are implemented and monitored by Primary Care Trusts around the country.

It outlines a number of recommendations to improve the commissioning and provision of out of hours care, including that: 

• PCTs should review the performance management arrangements in place for their out-of-hours services and ensure they are robust and fit for purpose;
• The Department of Health should issue guidance to PCTs to assist them in making decisions about whether or not a doctor has the necessary knowledge of English;
• The Department of Health should develop and introduce an improvement programme for PCTs to support their commissioning and performance management of out-of-hours services;
• Out-of-hours providers should consider the recruitment and selection processes in place for clinical staff to ensure they are robust and that they are following best practice;
• Strategic Health Authorities should consider how they monitor action taken by PCTs in response to this report and in carrying out appropriate performance management of out-of-hours providers; and

• Providers should co-operate with other local and regional providers (both in and out-of-hours) to share any concerns over staff working excessive hours for their respective services.

The Department of Health has accepted all the recommendations in the report.
Dr David Colin-Thome said:

“The quality of out of hours care for most people is better than it was in 2004, but there is unacceptable variation in how services are implemented and monitored around the country.

“However, I am confident that by implementing the recommendations from our report, the system can be strengthened and vastly improved.”

Professor Steve Field added:

“The report outlines a number of important recommendations which will remind PCTs of their legal obligation to provide safe, high quality out of hours care.

“I’m pleased that Health Minister Mike O’Brien has accepted the report’s recommendations in full and that there are plans to go even further to ensure patients will receive consistently good care, regardless of where they live.”