“e personal level of care we provide through NSDC really makes a difference. It’s the sense of continuity and trust that our patients really value...”
Dr ALAN HEATH Norfolk Surgical and Diagnostic Centres
A credible alternative to hospital treatment... A
sk 100 people for their greatest healthcare concerns and you’ll almost certainly find hospitalrelated issues at the top of the list: long waiting times, impersonal treatment, cancelled appointments and high car parking charges. Addressing those concerns, giving patients a greater say in their treatment and providing a genuinely credible alternative to hospital was the thinking behind the formation of Norfolk Surgical and Diagnostic Centres (NSDC). A partnership of local GP practices, NSDC provides a wide range of NHS procedures from specialist clinicians in safe, friendly and effective environments. “It’s almost twenty years since we started offering orthopaedic and surgical outpatient services as an alternative to going to hospital,” says Dr Alan Heath, Senior Partner at Southgates, a founder member of NSDC in King’s Lynn. “The personal level of care we provide through NSDC really makes a difference. As a GP I can explain the problem and the procedure to the patient, and then
actually carry out the treatment – and I’m also here for follow up visits. It’s that sense of continuity and trust that patients really value and has made NSDC so successful.” Over the last 12 months alone, NSDC has performed almost 6,000 procedures ranging from cataracts and carpal tunnels to skin lesions and vasectomies, and the response from patients has been overwhelmingly positive. In a survey earlier this year, no less than 99% of patients rated their confidence in the skills and knowledge of the staff as good/excellent, while 97% said the waiting times following referral was good/excellent. “As many people will be aware, hospitals generally call in an entire operating list at the same time and it’s a case of patients simply (or not!) waiting their turn,” says Dr Heath. “I’ve never thought that was a particularly good idea or use
of resources, so NSDC schedules surgical procedures for specific days and times, which means patients are often in and out in under an hour. It’s a lot more convenient for them and for their families. And because they’re scheduled appointments, they’re never cancelled.” Cataracts are a marvellous example of NSDC’s effectiveness, with waiting lists of around two years when NSDC first started offering the treatment in 1996. “We expect cataract patients to wait around a month from initial referral to the procedure itself,” says Dr Heath. “It doesn’t just make a huge amount of difference to the experience of the patient; it also significantly lessens the time and cost burden on our local hospitals.” For quality healthcare in a GP setting, for more choice in your treatment, and for a service that’s personal, friendly and fast, visit the NSDC website for more information or speak to your GP about organising a referral.
Southgates Medical and Surgical Centre 41 Goodwins Road, King’s Lynn PE30 5QX Gayton Road Health Centre Gayton Road, King’s Lynn PE30 4DY St Stephens Gate Medical Practice 55 Wessex Street, Norwich NR2 2TJ The Endoscopy Unit from St James Medical Practice 1 St Nicholas Court, Church Lane, King’s Lynn PE30 5SY
For more details, visit us online at www.nsdc.co.uk KLmagazine October 2014
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