SSP Health News - Ashton Medical Centre makes the papers

Ashton Medical Centre had an article featured in the Wigan Evening Post, dated Thursday, 4th December.

For those of you that haven't seen it, it has been transcribed below...

A Doctors surgery which employs mobile phone technology as a way of managing patient appointments has been highly commended.

Drs Sanjay and Shikha Pitalia and their health team were recognised for their innovative approach to improving patients access to appointments in their work at Ashton Medical Centre at the NHS Alliance Awards.
The surgery, in Wigan Road, Ashton canvassed patient's opinions and set up flexible surgery times and new drop-in surgeries based on their suggestions.

Feedback

Patients are also allowed to send a text message when they need to cancel an appointments which has freed telephone lines and reduced wasted appointments which can be offered to patients needing to be seen at short notice instead.
Senior manager Julie Sankey said 'The new services are based on patients views and the feedback to us is that they are delighted with the changes'
'Patients telling us by text is quick and simple.'
Practice manager Vicki Swain added: 'The results were apparent almost immediately. The scheme has been hugely popular with all our patients'.
The surgery is now better able to provide pre-bookable appointments, guarantees a patient will see a GP on the same day at drop-in surgeries and found telephone access has improved.
The team finished runners-up in the Innovations in Practice Management category at the prestigious NHS Alliance Awards.
Further plans to improve access include drop-in sessions to see the nursing team for lifestyle advice and screening and drop-in sessions for family planning.
Stephanie Byrom, chief executive of SSP Health, said 'The project has superseded all expectations. This commendation is further recognition of both doctors' contribution to general practice. They were proud to win the NHS Alliance award last year and were also highly commended at the illustrious Health Service Journal awards. SSP Health were thrilled when Dr Shikha Pitalia was recently named GP of the year by Mersey Deanery on behalf of the Royal College of General Practitioners.'

Among the practice's successful initiatives are a daily lunch time drop in surgery, a twice weekly after schools drop-in surgery and after work evening appointments on a Monday and Wednesday.