Quality care, when you need it most

Urgent Care

The Urgent Care business unit is the longest running in FCMS, it is at our core, originating from the Out of Hours GP co-operative formulated in 1994.

The unit has grown to include a portfolio of urgent care services across multiple geographical locations which include GP Out of Hours, Urgent Treatment Centres, Health Centres, Care Co-ordination Services, and an Emergency Care Practitioner service. Furthermore, we are extremely proud that Blackpool Urgent Treatment Centre is the only pilot site for NHS Pathways Reception Point; FCMS is pioneering non-clinician led triage and assessment using this clinical decision making tool.

Our High Intensity User Service targets those most vulnerable in our society who reach out to emergency services such as 999 and A&E. This service supports these individuals, addressing the underlying causes, taking a humane, non-punitive approach that wraps around the individuals and meet their unique needs

Our services currently include:

Urgent Care

Blackpool Urgent Treatment Centre

FCMS manages the administration of the Urgent Treatment Centre 24/7, 365 days a year! This includes managing The Gateway and being the only service that utilises a face to face version of NHS Pathways to triage patients. Our experienced and extensively trained staff drive the algorithmic system of clinical questions to determine the best place of care for the patient, be it A&E or the Primary Care Department.

Our Out of Hours service is also delivered at the Urgent Treatment Centre.

Blackpool Out of Hours Service

FCMS has been providing the Out of Hours Service for everybody who lives in, or is visiting, Blackpool and the Fylde and Wyre area since 1994!

We provide cover for the local GP practices when they are closed for patients who need urgent medical attention. We deliver patient triage, see patients in surgery or visit the patient in their own home.

Our multi-skilled team of GPs, Nurses, ECPs, Pharmacists, and Administrative Staff work collaboratively to provide an excellent, caring service for all of our patients.

Care Co-ordination Service

The aim of the Care Coordination service is to enable people with complex healthcare needs to be treated in the most suitable place, at the most suitable time to gain the best health outcome.

Achieving this aim contributes to a reduction in unplanned, preventable hospital attendances and a reduction in admissions to hospital.

The service began as a pilot in 2013 when Blackpool CCG and Fylde & Wyre CCG commissioned a Care Coordination Service and the Acute Visiting Service (AVS) from FCMS. The Care Coordination service has continued to expand since then and provides services 24/7, 365 days a year!

Our Care Coordination Team is successful due to our excellent working partnerships with a range of organisations.

Key partners include: the Blackpool, Fylde and Wyre GP Practices; North West Ambulance Service (NWAS); Trinity Hospice; Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust; Delphi Medical Ltd; Blackpool Horizon Partnership; The Harbour; Rapid Response Service; Care Home Support Team; Community Intravenous Therapy Service, Extensivist Team … to name a few.

The service is continually expanding as we identify new and innovative ways of meeting the needs of patients across the Fylde Coast.

• Care Plans – Nearly 10,000 people across Blackpool, Fylde and Wyre have a bespoke care plan providing them with self-care advice and access to a clinician 24/7. This area of service is evolving to include Electronic Palliative Care Co-ordination Systems (EPaCCS), which enables the recording and sharing of people’s care preferences and key details about their care at the end of life. The Care Coordination Team provides support to Extensivist patients during out of hours.

• AVS – A dedicated GP service for paramedics, reducing the incidence of unnecessary hospital conveyance whilst maintaining patient safety and meeting individual health care needs.

• Direct Divert – Calls that meet the set criteria are diverted from 999 to the FCMS Care Coordination Team. The FCMS clinician undertakes a triage assessment with the patient to determine the best route to meet the patient’s needs.

• Hospice at Home – The Care Coordination Team processes the referrals to the overnight Hospice at Home Team enabling vulnerable people, often at the end of their life, to have their health care needs met at home or a place of their choosing.

• The Harbour – Clinician to clinician support for the Harbour, a 154 bed mental health hospital in Blackpool.

• The Pier Scheme – A clinical provision for people who are unable to access mainstream primary care services.

Fleetwood Urgent Treatment Centre

Fleetwood Urgent Treatment Centre is a GP Led service commissioned by Fylde & Wyre CCG and run by our partner organisation, PDS Medical Ltd. We work very closely with the local NHS 111 service to ensure patients can be booked into our service for minor illnesses and ear syringing.Located at the Fleetwood Health & Wellbeing Centre, Dock Street, Fleetwood, FY7 6HP, the centre is operational  from 08.00-22.00 7 days per week including Christmas Day.The following services are also available on site:

• X-Ray facilities on site Monday – Friday 09.00 – 16.30
• Pharmacy on site Monday-Friday 09.00-18.30
• Wound Care Service – clinics at Fleetwood, St Anne’s and Kirkham run by a dedicated Wound Care Team for patients registered with a Fylde & Wyre GP
• GP Extended Access Service operates 7 days a week from this location and includes evening and weekend routine appointments e.g. GP appointments, smear clinics, phlebotomy clinics etc.

We have a multidisciplinary team of staff at the centre in Fleetwood who are able to provide our patients with the highest possible quality of care. Our clinical team is comprised of GPs, Nurse Practitioners, Nurse Prescribers, ECPs, Unscheduled Care Nurses, and HCAs. They are supported by our wonderful non-clinical team and are managed by our Deputy Head of Urgent Care, Lorraine Moffat.

The service is available for the Fylde Coast population and is also accessible to temporary residents and visitors

The service provides assessment, diagnosis, treatment and advice to patients presenting with minor illness and minor injuries. We also offer phlebotomy, ECG, ear syringing and plastering (not walls of course!).

Integrated service comprising of:
Urgent Treatment Centre/GP OOH's and Extended Access Service

These services are delivered by a multidisciplinary team of clinical and non-clinical staff managed by our Deputy Head. This team includes Nurse Practitioners, Unscheduled Care Practitioners,  GPs, HCAs, Drivers and Receptionists

We have gone from strength to strength working closely with North West Ambulance Service (NWAS), A&E to reduce the number of hospital attendances and local GP practices to offer routine weekend and evening appointments via our Extended Access service.

Our Urgent Treatment Centre –Treats minor illnesses ranging from coughs, colds, and rashes, to exacerbation of long term conditions such as Asthma, and COPD.

We also treat minor injuries which include, slips/trips and falls, possible fractures, head injuries, grazes and cuts – we have the ability to suture simple wounds, plaster non dislocated fractures and dress wounds.

Our OOHs service – This is available when your GP practice is closed and you have an Urgent care need that cannot wait until your practice is open.

Our extended access service –  Works alongside your own practice offering appointments at weekends and evenings, we offer routine GP appointments, smear clinics,, phlebotomy clinics and dressings, in this service we have access to your practice records.

Patients can access our services a number of ways:

• Via NHS 111
• Their own GP surgery can make a direct booking  – Extended Access
• Injured patients can walk in.

Rossendale Minor Injuries Unit

Rossendale Minor Injuries Unit has been run by our partner organisation, PDS Medical, since July 2014 and is a Nurse-led Walk In Centre for people with minor injuries.

The service is located at the Rossendale Primary Health Care Centre, Bacup Road, Rossendale, BB4 7PL and is operational from  8.00am  – 8.00pm 7 days a week, 365 days a year. The Centre is open to the general public for the treatment of minor injuries, including sprains, strains, fractures, cuts and grazes, bruising, minor head injuries (no loss of consciousness), foreign bodies (including eyes), bites and stings.

We are also able to offer:

• X-ray facilities on site, Monday – Friday between 0900– 1645
• Pharmacy on site, open Monday – Friday 0830 – 1830 and Saturday 0900 – 1300

This service is delivered by a very highly qualified, experienced, and caring team of clinical and non-clinical staff. This team includes Nurse Prescribers, ECPs and Physiotherapists.