Whitchurch road surgery

18/02/2025

In December 2024, there were 124 missed appointments (DNAs) at our surgery. Over the course of a year, this level of missed appointments would result in a financial loss of £45,270.

This amount could be used to employ an additional GP, improving access to care and enhancing our services for patients.

Please use our appointment system responsibly. If you are unable to attend, kindly cancel or reschedule in advance to allow others the opportunity to receive the care they need.

13/01/2025

All patients, please can you sign the petition to get Welsh Government to review the Carr-Hill formula

The Carr Hill Formula was introduced with the new GMS contract in 2004. It has created enormous, unjustifiable and unsafe funding differences between practices and has never once been reviewed in Wales. The General Practice Council of England are suggesting a new funding formula is their number 1 pr...

23/12/2024

Holidays can be some of the toughest days for older people. That's why our phone lines are open every day of the year.

Call our Advice Line on 0800 678 1602 8am-7pm for information and advice on a range of topics from benefits to care homes.

Or for a friendly chat, call The Silver Line Helpline on 0800 4 70 80 90. We provide friendship and conversation 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Find out how we're there when older people need us most: https://bit.ly/3DbaFEv

23/12/2024

Dear Patients,
In 2024, the Welsh Government pays £126.00 per patient per year through the General Medical Services (GMS) contract to provide healthcare at GP surgeries. However, before this funding reaches surgeries, it is adjusted by the Carr-Hill formula—a mechanism that modifies payments based on factors like demographics and levels of rurality. This formula applies an equal, positive, or negative multiplier to the GMS payment. The Carr-Hill formula was introduced in 2004 and has never ever been reviewed

At Whitchurch Road Surgery, our Carr-Hill score is 0.75, meaning we receive only 75% of the £126. This equates to £94.50 per year, or just 25 pence per day.
For this modest amount, patients are entitled to unlimited access to GPs, nurses, and pharmacists, as well as additional services such as physiotherapy, mental health support, and sexual health clinics. This 25 pence per day also covers the administrative and reception support essential to keeping the surgery running smoothly. To put this into perspective, in today’s economy, 25 pence might buy you half an apple.

The ongoing funding crisis, exacerbated by the continued application of the Carr-Hill formula, places an unreasonably low value on your healthcare. To illustrate the disparity, consider Pontycymmer Surgery, a GP practice with the same patient list size as ours but a Carr-Hill score of 1.18. Patients at that surgery are valued at £148 per year, or 41 pence per day—43% higher than the value placed on your healthcare, despite having comparable healthcare needs.

Do you feel it is fair that your healthcare at Whitchurch Road Surgery is valued at just 25 pence per day by the Welsh Government? If not, we urge you to help us address this injustice. Please contact your MP or MS to express your concerns and ask them to investigate this issue as a matter of urgency.

Welsh Assembly Government do not feel the Carr-Hill formula is an issue. Not addressing it will consequently mean that funding differences will continue to get larger without scrutiny or oversight.
The current funding levels are unsustainable. Without change, the quality of the healthcare services we provide will inevitably suffer. Your support could make a significant difference in ensuring fair and adequate funding for Whitchurch Road Surgery.

Please click on below link to view detailed information about the Carr-Hill formula and its impact on GP surgeries in Wales.
https://whitchurchroad.gpsurgery.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/490/2024/12/CARR-HILL-IN-WALES.xlsx

Additionally, click on below link to view a Freedom of Information Act response revealing that the Welsh Government has limited understanding or oversight of how the Carr-Hill formula affects GP surgeries across Wales.
https://whitchurchroad.gpsurgery.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/490/2024/12/carr-hill-FOI.pdf

Thank You

The Whitchurch Road Surgery Team

19/12/2024

19/12/2024

Don't let winter bugs dampen your festive spirit; make sure your plans stay on track by:

🧼 Washing your hands regularly
🎄 Wrapping up warm and meeting outdoors if you can
🤧Covering coughs and sneezes with a tissue

https://phw.nhs.wales/topics/beat-winter-viruses/

04/12/2024

Important Patient Notice

Due to increasingly high demand and a temporary shortage of GPs caused by illness and one of our doctors requiring emergency surgery, Whitchurch Road Surgery will only be offering medical emergency appointments at this time.

We sincerely apologise for any inconvenience this may cause and appreciate your understanding and patience during this challenging period.

If you have a medical emergency, please contact us as usual. For non-urgent queries, we kindly ask that you use our online resources or consider alternative options such as local pharmacies or NHS 111.

We are working hard to resume normal services as soon as possible. Thank you for your continued support. 🙏

12/11/2024

https://www.shwales.online/wales-sti-testing-kit-test-and-post.html?utm_source=Stakeholder+announcement&utm_medium=Stakeholder+announcement&utm_campaign=Wales+HIV+Testing+Week

Wales STI Testing Kit | Test and Post

23/10/2024

23/10/2024

It's and we're sharing the most common symptoms to look out for 💗

Remember, if you notice anything unusual for you, speak to your GP. It probably won't be cancer, but if it is, an early diagnosis can make a real difference.

Share this post and help us to raise life-saving awareness 🔁

23/10/2024

Flu can make some people very ill. It's important to get the flu vaccine if you're advised to.

Be sure to rest, keep warm, take paracetamol or ibuprofen to lower your temperature and treat aches and pains, and drink plenty of water.

More advice here 👉 bit.ly/3VoUU0C

22/10/2024

💩 Poo 💩 It can be embarrassing to talk about, but it could also save your life.

At least 9 in 10 people will survive bowel cancer if it's found and treated early enough ✅.

If you’re aged 50-74 and living in Wales, you’ll automatically be sent a free bowel screening test kit every two years.

Find out more ⬇️:
www.phw.nhs.wales/bowel-screening