Whitby residents raise concerns about ‘lack of information’ on changes to out-of-hours GP service

From Tuesday April 2, Nimbuscare will take over the provision of out-of-hours GP services in Whitby, it has been announced.

Humber Teaching NHS Foundation Trust has said that patients wishing to access the out-of-hours service will have to call 111 between 6.30pm and 8am from Monday to Friday and at all weekends and Bank Holidays.

Additionally, an out-of-hours GP is set to be on-site at Whitby Hospital on Saturdays and Sundays from 1pm to 6pm for patients requiring face-to-face appointments.

The announcement has been met with a mixed response, with many residents stating that they were unaware of the upcoming changes and how they would be affected.

The changes were discussed recently at a meeting of the Whitby Community Network (WCN).

The WCN said it had also been struggling to get “official confirmation” of the changes, adding: “Why should we need to, isn’t healthcare something that should be widely publicised?”

Patients calling 111 will receive a clinical assessment to determine what care is needed and “may result in a telephone consultation, a home visit or a request to attend a face-to-face appointment”.

However, if the patient’s condition is serious, an ambulance may be called, the trust said.

Home visits are set to continue to be provided by the GP out-of-hours service in Whitby and surrounding areas “as per initial clinical assessment”.

The new provider, Nimbuscare, operates more than 10 practices, mainly in the York area.

The Humber Teaching NHS Trust said that the Urgent Treatment Centre at Whitby Hospital will be open from 8am to 8pm, seven days a week and can be accessed by either calling 111 or as a walk-in service.

It is led by urgent care practitioners and advanced clinical practitioners.

The nearest Emergency Department operating 24/7 continues to be Scarborough Hospital.