Health issues unfortunately don't leave us alone at the weekend and people are often in need of medical assistance out of hours. Using NHS guidelines, we have provided some advice and information on where you can go for help when your GP is closed.
The Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment (PNA) is a key commissioning tool for NHS England, Local
Authority and Clinical Commissioning Group’s (CCG). The PNA includes pharmaceutical services and
other services that may be delivered through community pharmacy. The PNA maps current provision,
assesses local need, and identifies any gaps in provision. It is reviewed every 3 years and Healthwatch
Walsall were pleased to be asked to have an integral role in the consultation process.
Heart disease remains as one of the major causes of premature death in Walsall. There have
been several reports produced locally by Public Health Walsall that evidence this but there is
also other intelligence published by Public Health England e.g., CVD primary care intelligence
pack (2021). We understand that a range of factors heighten the risk of heart disease and
that generally premature deaths from this disease tend to be in the more deprived areas of
Walsall where risk factors that can cause heart disease are more prevalent. As background
data to support this report we have obtained some summary information from our local
Public Health department as well as undertaking a limited analysis of the CVD primary care
intelligence pack 2021 and this follows.
On this occasion, the Healthwatch have carried out a project that looks at the experiences of people who were more likely to be digitally excluded than the general population in accessing primary care during the Covid-19 pandemic and its associated restrictions. Unlike the HWE project we did not interview GP practice staff as at the time the project was being undertaken local GP practice staff were taken up with the rollout of the Covid vaccination programme and felt unable to take part.