Salford-wide extended access pilot: clinical audit report

The demands made of primary care are changing due to social, health and economic factors.  In response, NHS Salford CCG have commissioned the Salford Wide Extended Access Pilot (SWEAP).  This initiative seeks to find an effective and sustainable model for the provision of evening and weekend general practice appointments and diagnostic testing services across all five Salford neighbourhoods. This has potential to both directly and indirectly improve health service provision (e.g. reduction of primary care bottlenecks and more efficient use of other services such as A&E).

Building on previous evaluations of extended access schemes (e..g Demonstrator pilot and the roll-out of seven day access to primary care across other Greater Manchester CCGs) NIHR CLAHRC Greater Manchester has been working with NHS Salford CCG to evaluate the implementation, activity, outcomes and impact associated with SWEAP.  Part of this work involved a clinical audit of patient notes generated by attendance at a SWEAP appointment. This audit provides insight around the outcomes and impacts of these appointments on both patient care and workforce activities. The full report can be read here in the Organising Healthcare Programme section of the CLAHRC GM website.