NHS Cambridgeshire s public consultation around the future of out-of-hours services across Cambridgeshire will run until Monday December 21. NHS Cambridgeshire is responsible for buying emergency GP services to cover the times when normal GP practices are

NHS Cambridgeshire's public consultation around the future of out-of-hours services across Cambridgeshire will run until Monday December 21.

NHS Cambridgeshire is responsible for buying emergency GP services to cover the times when normal GP practices are closed.

It is also responsible for setting the standards and establishing agreed service levels in order to deliver high quality care for people in Cambridgeshire.

NHS Cambridgeshire would like to provide an out-of-hours service for people in Cambridgeshire that provides advice and support from an experienced clinician by telephone or face to face, where patients can be directed on to the most appropriate service for their needs.

Matthew Smith, Assistant Director of Out of Hospital Care at NHS Cambridgeshire said: "It is important that people in Cambridgeshire are able to access the right NHS care when they need it.

"We recognise that the current out-of-hours service can be improved and we have already received feedback from patients and professionals at a local and national level who have identified that access to out-of-hours services can be confusing.

"NHS Cambridgeshire's public consultation around out-of-hours services runs until 21 December 2009 - so it is not too late for people to still have their say.

"We have a number of public events planned across the county through the course of the consultation - but people can also give their views in a number of different ways:

By completing the online questionnaire that can be found on NHS Cambridgeshire's website - by visiting the consultation section of NHS Cambridgeshire's website - www.cambridgeshire.nhs.uk

Calling the PALS (Patient Advice & Liaison Service) freephone number on 0800 279 2535

Emailing OOH-consultation@cambridgeshire.nhs.uk

We want to encourage anyone who has an interest in the provision of out-of-hours services in the county to attend one of our meetings or let us have their comments by telephone or email."

Public meetings due to be held in Fenland include one on Monday at Chatteris Library from 10.30am to 12pm and at Manea Village Hall on December 8 at 6.30pm until 8pm.

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