10 May 2018
The out-of-hours service provided by General Practice (GP) doctors in Jersey is set to move to a new location.
From Monday 14 May, the Jersey Doctors On Call (JDOC) service will move to the Emergency Department (ED) at Jersey General Hospital, having formerly been located at the Newgate Street end of the hospital site.
JDOC will continue to provide a GP service that is available at all times, except during GP surgeries’ normal opening hours (8am-6pm on weekdays and Saturday mornings). The new location, which will be trialled for an initial three-month period, is designed to be more accessible for those who require urgent non-emergency treatment, continuing the process of joining up Community and Hospital healthcare.
Appointments can be made by phone – by dialling 445445 – to see a GP at the hospital every day of the year at the following times:
- 6pm-11pm Mondays to Fridays
- 12noon-11pm Saturdays
- 8am-11pm Sundays and Public Holidays.
Callers to JDOC may request a home visit at any point outside GP surgeries’ normal opening hours.
Dr Daniel Albert, Clinical Lead of JDOC, said “We believe that having the out-of-hours service in its new location will raise its profile and make it easier for patients who require an urgent GP appointment to access it.
“When the out-of-hours service is operating, patients can telephone us to make an appointment to see a GP at our new location in ED at any time until 11pm. Home visits will continue to be available at any time during our service hours. We are pleased to be able to continue to offer telephone advice anytime, completely free-of-charge. When patients call for advice, they can rest assured that they will be speaking to a local GP. Relocating to ED will enable patients to obtain appropriate treatment from the appropriate doctor at the appropriate place. ”
Working closely together
Rob Sainsbury, Managing Director of Jersey General Hospital, added “We’re excited about the new JDOC location in the Emergency Department. The former location at the other end of the building created a geographical barrier to the provision of out-of-hours urgent care. Now the two services can work more closely together, which can only benefit patients.”
The Emergency Department will continue to treat those with ailments such as serious injuries and major bites or cuts, as well as emergencies such as chest pains, strokes, breathing difficulties and severe bleeding.
Most other problems can be handled by a GP. Patients are invited to call JDOC to discuss their symptoms if they are not sure.
The cost of seeing a GP out-of-hours is unchanged. Appointments for Jersey residents, with health cards, cost £56, while home visits cost £112 (daytime hours up to 11pm) or £143 (overnight hours from 11pm to 8am).
gov.je