The service has supported 550 referrals from the NNUH and JPUH over this period, with an average of 83% of those patients being managed and discharged back into the care of their GP with 36% of those patients having had further diagnostic investigations (such as a CT scan, repeat FIT testing). The LGISS was temporarily halted in March 2024 due to the recommissioning process, but it has since been reinstated by the Norfolk and Waveney ICB. The service has now been expanded to include all three acute hospital Trusts in the Norfolk and Waveney ICB area. Primary Care Support to New Hospital Programme and James Paget University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust NNPC provided a Primary Care Project Manager to support the new hospital programme team, working closely with hospital speciality teams to develop links, ideas, and support on where workload can be reduced from the hospital footprint. This focussed on where services could be relocated to Primary Care via developing alternative referral pathways which meant that patients could be treated nearer to home and receive a more community-based approach to their health needs. Collaborative specialty approaches and strategic insights into patient care across many specialities has been explored, and will continue into the coming years. The end goal of the new JPUH build will enhance the flexibility and adaptability of the hospital facilities to improve the patient experience, whilst supporting the delivery of healthcare services to people nearer to home, wherever possible. Rapid Diagnostic Service (RDS) NNPC continued to be commissioned by the Norfolk and Waveney ICB to deliver the RDS. This service is for people with serious symptoms that could indicate cancer, but which do not fit the criteria for urgent cancer referrals on a site-specific pathway. Symptoms might include unexplained weight loss, fatigue, or abdominal pain, or if the GP just has a strong feeling something is not right. Without this service, these patients might have to visit their GP multiple times before getting referred to a specialist, causing delays in diagnosis. To refer a patient, clinicians need to fill out a form online, which triggers various tests based on the patient's gender and symptoms. The RDS makes the process a quicker pathway to diagnosis for the patient by organising tests, reviewing results, and coordinating with specialists, leading to faster diagnosis and an enhanced patient experience. The team includes four experienced GPs and patient pathway navigators, who are available to help patients and clinicians throughout the process. They have more time for appointments than the usual allocation in general practice and work closely with hospitals and specialists to ensure prompt testing and diagnosis. Their goal is to diagnose and refer patients to the most appropriate specialism (where required) within 28 days of referral. The service operates from three locations; Norwich, Great Yarmouth and Kings Lynn. It also offers remote appointments when suitable. Over the course of 1 st April 2023 to 31 st March 2024, there has been a total of 828 patients referred into the service. This resulted in an average of:
North Norfolk Primary Care - Quality Account 2023/24
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