• Croydon, Kingston, Merton, Richmond, Sutton and Wandsworth CCGs launch integrated urgent care service

Six south west London clinical commissioning groups have awarded an integrated urgent care contract - combining NHS 111 and out of hours services across several boroughs - to South London Doctors Urgent Care (SLDUC).

The six CCGs involved are Croydon, Kingston, Merton, Richmond, Sutton and Wandsworth. All six have procured NHS 111 services from the provider but only Kingston, Merton, Sutton and Wandsworth CCGs have procured an out of hours GP service.

SLDUC will run services for three years from October 2016, with the option to extend for a further two years. HSJ understands NHS 111 services will be run from one clinical hub in Norbiton, while a second hub will provide GP out of hours care across Kingston, Merton, Sutton and Wandsworth.

South London Doctors Urgent Care is a partnership between Vocare and South East London Doctors Co-operative (SELDOC). Vocare is an established provider of NHS 111 services nationally, while SELDOC manages the existing GP OOH contract for Sutton CCG, as well as contracts across south east London.

Jonathan Bates, chief officer of Sutton CCG and senior responsible officer for the programme, said: “This new contract brings together and enhances two separate services which will be of huge benefit to all patients, including patients with complex needs. The integrated service will be able to refer patients to more than one service, such as mental health support as well as healthcare, and there will be mental health nurses routinely available.

“Through integration, we can ensure that the two services work seamlessly together, reducing hand overs, cutting duplication and making sure patients have a better experience.”

 

 

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