Gynaecology

At a meeting in June 2008, hosted by the Primary Care Trust, the local Practice Based Commissioning Group and local GPs had presentations delivered by the PCT Gynaecology Lead and a Consultant Gynaecologist from University Hospital Durham.

The outcome of the meeting was that the PBC Group reiterated their requirements to have services delivered more locally and the PCT representative undertook to lead on developing a Service Specification which Provider organisations like Assura Derwentside would bid for.

Assura Derwentside are seeking to engage and integrate with the Acute Trust at County Durham and Darlington in order that we do not fragment the services we aim to bid for and subsequently provide.

GPs already provide many Gynaecological services within their own Practices, but there are times when additional expertise is required. This does not always need to be at a distant Acute Hospital site, necessitating lengthy and inconvenient return visits.

Many procedures, treatments or diagnostics can be done as a One Stop Shop within the locality, meaning a more convenient service all round. Shotley Bridge Hospital will certainly be a first focus, but as Stanley Medical Centre comes on line in late 2009 Assura Derwentside hopes to have locality wide services which reach a greater numbers of patients.