Patients who have been placed on the GP Special Allocation Scheme are those who have been identified by their GP Practice as being violent; this includes showing actual or threatened physical or verbal abuse towards a member of staff or other patients. The Vernova Healthcare CIC GP Special Allocation Scheme covers patients allocated by NHS England to the scheme from a GP Practice in Eastern Cheshire (Macclesfield, Congleton, Holmes Chapel, Knutsford, Chelford, Handforth, Alderley Edge, Wilmslow, Bollington, Disley and Poynton).
The purpose of the scheme is to:
- Ensure GPs, their staff, patients and their carers deliver and receive services without the threat or occurrence of violence;
- Provide patients with a stable environment where they can continue to access NHS general practice healthcare services;
- Ensure aggressive or disruptive behaviour is addressed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How do I get an appointment or order my repeat prescription?
A: Patients allocate to the service by NHS England can contact the service on 01625 264078, which will be answered by one of our Administration Team. A number of questions will be asked to establish the reason for the call. These details will be put to one of our GPs and the appropriate action taken. This could be a callback from one of our GPs, a face to face appointment at Waters Green Medical Centre, the issuing of a prescription, or other appropriate actions as deemed necessary. Requests from allocated patients can also be submitted to the service via email – cmicb-cheshire.vernovahealthcare@nhs.net
Q: Where will I be seen for my appointment?
A: Face to face GP appointments for the service are undertaken in a consulting room on the Ground Floor of Waters Green Medical Centre. All appointments must be prearranged and patients are not permitted to enter the building without a prearranged appointment. Patients attending for an appointment should report to the main Security/Reception desk located on the Ground Floor of the building.
Q: What will the security arrangements be during consultations?
A: It may be necessary to arrange security to support the clinician during the patient’s appointment. If this is the case, security will be on hand to assist the clinician should an issue arise. The security team are subject to strict confidentiality procedures and will be available to protect both the patient and clinician during a consultation.
Q: How can I be removed from the scheme?
A: Our GPs will undertake an annual review following 12 months of a patient being placed on the scheme. The review will look at whether the GPs feel it is appropriate for the patient to return to mainstream general practice care at a local GP Practice of the patient’s choosing. The GPs will take into consideration the patient’s previous interactions with the service and whether there have been any further incidents concerning violence or aggression towards staff involved in the patient’s healthcare since their allocation on to the scheme.
Q: Is there an appeals process?
A: Details of how patients can appeal their allocation on to the scheme are available within the letter received from NHS England. Members of staff at Vernova Healthcare CIC involved with the GP Special Allocation Scheme are unable to discuss or facilitate any aspect of the appeals process, which would be managed by the Cheshire and Merseyside Integrated Care Board.
You and Your General Practice
You and Your General Practice (YYGP) has been developed to help patients understand what to expect from their GP Practice and how they can get the best from their GP team. YYGP also enables patient to provide feedback or raise concerns with their GP Practice, Healthwatch or the regional Integrated Care Board (ICB). The YYGP document, published by NHS England, can be found here – https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/you-and-your-general-practice/
Please note that although Vernova Healthcare CIC aims to provide the best level of service possible for all of our allocated patients, due to the nature of the GP Special Allocation Scheme, some aspects of the national YYGP guidance cannot safely apply for patients allocated on to the GP Special Allocation Scheme. If you have been allocated onto the Eastern Cheshire GP Special Allocation Scheme and need clarity on any aspect of the YYGP guidance, please contact the service to discuss this with us.