At present Health Service professionals are facing unprecedented pressures to deliver vital services in a safe environment. Timely access is essential to ensure prompt treatment is available which reduces the need for more expensive treatment due to delayed diagnosis and intervention. 

Feedback from residents in the has highlighted several concerns including, not being able to contact surgeries, people not wanting to put pressure on professionals they know to be very busy and lack of opportunity to see professionals face to face.  It is clear that in the current pandemic, services must be provided in a different manner from the past. However, it is essential that patients are clear about what can be expected from primary health care providers such as GPs and that by managing expectations, disruption caused by the current pandemic can be kept to a minimum.

The health and Well Being Board which was set up in 2013  by the then coalition, has power to influence commissioning decisions made by clinical commissioning groups (CCGs). 

We the undersigned therefore urge the Local Area Committee and other relevant council committees to seek to establish specific expectations from services commissioned by the Sheffield Clinical Commissioning group and the performance indicators on which commissioned services will be judged and have contracts renewed.