Cwm Taf Urgent Primary Care

GPOOH

We are a friendly bunch based in a call centre in Williamstown where we triage and have visiting shifts from. We conduct face to face appointments (although very few currently with the current widespread ‘arm’s length’ approach to patient management that is being practiced) in Prince Charles Hospital and Royal Glamorgan Hospital currently. We would be very grateful of any additional offers of support for us, as things are likely to escalate over the coming weeks with amount of people unwell, and also likely staff who are unwell or self-isolating. Given the current climate (where work is an excuse to leave the house and socialise!) if there was a willing to do any additional hours then please consider us. We can accommodate most working patterns fairly flexibly.

We do offer some home working, although currently are unable to provide additional VPNs at this time, so this would only apply if you already have a way of accessing citrix at home.

Community Respiratory Hub

There are also other opportunities in this working environment at the Williamstown call centre administered via the OOH service – we are setting up a hub primarily for COVID currently which will require 24/7 on-site GP support for an MDT workforce consisting of nurses/physios/OTs. They will be remote and non patient facing – perfect for those who need to socially distance for medical reasons. It needs to be on site for CD prescribing.

The hub will exist to provide rapid symptom relief to those with potentially terminal breathlessness who are not appropriate for admission by linking with community nursing teams. And to support those with COVID related symptoms of a lower acuity via the therapists in the MDT. This was done with the vision anywhere system.

The role of the GP in the hub is provide some of the assessments, support other members of the MDT where medical expertise is needed and enable remote prescribing and dispensing to ensure we can provide rapid palliation to those in greatest need.

The aim is for the hub to run 24/7 and work closely with the OOH service in the OOH period.

Field Hospitals

We are also looking to staff our field hospitals, current planned sites are in Hensol and Abercynon. This would be modelled on a community hospital and is felt to be best managed by a primary care team of GPs and ANPs. These are looking to be stepped up over the coming week as the amount of COVID cases look to rise in the community.

Field hospital - Hensol

20th of April onwards
255 bed field hospital at the Vale WRU training ground.

Field Hospital will develop the following clinical capabilities:
• A step-down, rehabilitation and discharge pathway
• A supportive care pathway providing active management of COVID-19 in those with a Ceiling of Treatment and end of life care for those who deteriorate
• A low acuity active management pathway for patients with no Ceiling of Treatment receiving level 1 care

Dear fellow GP’s,
We are looking for GP’s to join our team on a regular basis to provide care for patients at this site. It is a 24/7 site and the shifts that need covering are likely to be 8-4/9-5,5-midnight and midnight until 8. Weekdays and weekends. It is preferable to be able to give a regular commitment so that we can set up a rota and develop a close knit team and supportive working environment. From the 20th we will start training and preparations at the site and the first patients will be admitted on the 27th.

Pay will match out of hours. Indemnity is covered.
PPE includes face shields, fluid resistant surgical mask, aprons, gloves. Scrubs are also provided. No aerosol generating procedures will be done at this site.

If you are interested please email Sarah Quirk and cc Liza Thomas-Emrus (lead GP) here


Any help would be gratefully received

We are paying for on-site shifts:
£85 hour weekdays
£85 hour weekday evenings
£90 hour weekend days
£100 hour Fri/Sat/Sun evenings
£105 hour overnights
Home triage is £70/hr weekdays and £80/hr weekends


For inquiries that are not about the Hensol Field Hospital (see above): Sian.Taylor5@wales.nhs.uk or Laura.Roberts@wales.nhs.uk
Or call on 01443 444077