Out of Hours GP Appointments - FOI Response Register

1. How many out-of-hours GP appointments have taken place within hospitals in your health board in the last five years?

In accordance with FOISA s 17(1), NHS Shetland confirms that it does not hold the information requested.

We trust the following information will be of value in understanding why:

NHS Shetland has only one hospital, Gilbert Bain Hospital (GBH). The A&E Department of GBH has been classed as the NHS Shetland Primary Care Emergency Centre (PCEC) since 2004.

During the OOHs period, NHS Shetland patients are directed to call NHS24. NHS24 triage the calls.

For patients who require to be seen in a non-home environment (i.e. they need an assessment, but are not suitable for a house visit) NHS24 direct the patient to the GBH PCEC. GPs and ANPs cover telephone advice and make house visits for those who need them, and there is also an on call Dental Service.

Because all OOHs calls are handled by NHS24, NHS Shetland does not have the level of information needed to answer this request.

We anticipate that NHS24 would only be able to say how many patients they referred to the GBH PCEC, but not the number of patients who were then deemed to be a Primary Care presentation only.

2. Could this information be broken down by year?

In accordance with FOISA s 17(1), NHS Shetland confirms that it does not hold the information requested.

Please see the answer to question 1.