Services

East Lancashire Alliance-Enhanced Access Service

 

The Enhanced Access has been launched in East Lancashire and will be provided by East Lancashire Alliance to increase the number of appointments available to patients in the area.

 Every GP practice in Burnley, Rossendale, Hyndburn, and Ribblesdale will be involved in the new Enhanced Access scheme.

 The Enhanced Access scheme means that patients can make an appointment via their registered practice to see a variety of Health Professionals such as GPs, ANPs, PNs, HCAs and Clinical Pharmacists which are delivered F2F and remotely Mondays to Fridays from 17:00 – 20:45, and 09:00 – 17:00 on a Saturday. This service has been set up by East Lancashire Alliance on behalf of Primary Care Networks to improve services available to patients outside GP core hours.

 The Clinicians will be able to access patients full medical record (including their practice notes), request tests and investigations, as well as completing referrals for them into further services and care. Anything added to the patients record during the Enhanced Access Consultation will go straight back to their registered practice so they can be kept up to data with anything that may have changed or been updated on the record.

 Appointments for services provided to all the patients in Rossendale Practices are available from the below locations:

  • Irwell Medical Practice, Bacup Health Centre (Irwell Mill/Rochdale Rd, Bacup OL13 9NR) – Monday and Thursdays
  • Ilex View Medical Centre, Rossendale Health Centre (Bacup Rd, Rossendale BB4 7PL) – Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays

 If you would like one of these appointments, please ask your receptionist team at your practice for more information. Sometimes these appointments 'Open' up to all practices if they aren't used, so it may be we may ask you to attend the Burnley, Hyndburn or Ribblesdale sites for a sooner appointment.

What is Social Prescribing?

Many things affect your health and wellbeing. GPs tell us that a lot of people visit them feeling isolated or lonely. Or they might be stressed out by work, money and housing problems. Sometimes it’s the stress of managing different long-term conditions. That’s where social prescribing comes in. It starts with a conversation. It might be the conversation you’ve just had with your doctor. Or with another person in the practice team. They will refer you to a social prescribing link worker. The link worker is there to listen to you, and put you in touch with the people and activities that might help you to feel better.

Your link worker might introduce you to a community group, a new activity or a local club. Or they might help you find legal advice or debt counselling. They might just help you find information and guidance: a bit of inside knowledge on your situation or what local resources there are. They could even support you to create something new such as a gardening club, a fishing group, a ‘men’s shed’ or knit and knatter group. Social prescribing can help you to have more control over your own health and find ways to improve how you feel in a way that suits you. Studies show that people get better and feel better faster than those treated with medicine alone. And because it works, it’s happening more and more – including here in this area. For more information about social prescribing visit www.england.nhs.uk/personalisedcare/social-prescribing