Continuity of Care

Continuity of care means building an ongoing relationship between you and your healthcare team. Seeing the same clinician regularly helps them understand your medical history, personal circumstances, and healthcare needs. This can lead to better communication, greater trust, and more personalised care.

As part of this approach, every patient is allocated a named GP. A named GP is the doctor who has overall responsibility for coordinating your care within the practice. This does not mean you will only be able to see that GP, but wherever possible, we will try to book routine appointments with them so that you can benefit from more consistent and personalised care.

Continuity of care is particularly important for patients receiving palliative care, those living with long-term health conditions, and patients with complex medical needs. Having a GP who is familiar with your history can help ensure that care is coordinated effectively, decisions are made with a full understanding of your circumstances, and support is provided in a way that best meets your individual needs.

We review our patient lists to ensure that everyone has a named GP, based at their local surgery. Where patients have been seeing a particular GP regularly, we update records where appropriate to reflect this.

If your named GP is unavailable due to annual leave, sickness, or other commitments, a designated backup GP will provide cover for their patients Each named GP is paired with a specific colleague who becomes familiar with their patient list and can help ensure continuity of care when they are away. This approach helps maintain consistency and allows patients to be seen by a GP who has a good understanding of their care needs and access to the relevant information required to support them.

If you prefer, you can choose to wait for your named GP to become available, although this may result in a longer wait for an appointment.

In some cases, a GP may not be the most appropriate clinician for your needs. You may therefore be offered an appointment with another member of our multidisciplinary team, such as a First Contact Physiotherapist, Clinical Pharmacist, Mental Health Practitioner, or Advanced Practitioner. These clinicians have specialist skills and work closely with our GPs to provide the right care at the right time.

If you are unsure who your named GP is, please contact the practice or ask at reception, and a member of our team will be happy to help.

Continuity of care is associated with better patient experience, improved health outcomes and more personalised care. We remain committed to delivering coordinated care centred around your individual needs.