An out of hours medical service

The service has a new telephone number, a team of clinicians to advise and assess callers’ needs and a programme to ensure the out of hours services in Bromsgrove and across the county will be developed and improved.

The service is provided by private company Take Care Now (TCN). The independent healthcare provider was selected by Worcestershire Primary Care Trust earlier this year, through tender.

Since then, TCN has been providing the primary care out of hours service for Worcestershire, as well as working closely with the PCT and other providers in the health economy to integrate and develop services out of hours.

Dr James Kennedy, TCN medical director, said: “We are delighted to have retained all the staff already working in the local out of hours service and added 30 more.

“In all, we have over 50 highly trained professionals operating the Worcestershire service, from six local primary care centres. Over 70 per cent of them live in the county and will be able to add their local knowledge to the range of skills used. There will be a local management team and a local lead doctor and nurse to ensure patients the personal and efficient service they rightly expect.”

The new out of hours number is 0300 123 3211.

The service provides medical support for issues that cannot wait until a GP surgery is open.

Trained doctors and nurses will diagnose, treat or refer patients locally.

Paul Bates, chief executive of the Worcestershire Primary Care Trust, said: “The PCT undertook a thorough review of the out of hours contract and subsequently awarded the contract to TCN. They illustrated through the tender process their experience, capacity and capability to run an excellent service for patients in Worcestershire.

“We were particularly impressed with the references we received from contracts that they already run elsewhere in the country and we are confident that this new arrangement will significantly improve the service we offer to our patients.”