We have launched Group Consultations at Haydock Medical Centre and wanted to share a little information about what they are and how they work.
Group Consultations offer numerous advantages over traditional one-on-one consultations. By bringing together patients with similar conditions or needs, group consultations foster a sense of community, enable peer support, and promote shared learning.
Patients benefit from increased access to care, as group consultations allow for more frequent appointments and therefore reduces waiting times. The collaborative nature of group consultations enhances patient engagement, leading to improved treatment adherence and ultimately better health outcomes.
With an aging population and an increase in chronic diseases, the need for efficient and effective Primary Care services has never been greater. By introducing group consultation, we can address these demands and support our patients more effectively.
Patients are invited to the session, come along to the event – we will take blood pressure, height, weight, have results from bloods/urine testing carried out just a few days before and then have time with a Clinician to discuss specific areas of concerns. Due to the nature of how the session is set up it enables patients to listen and learn, talk about things important to them, have medications altered.
We have found that topics not covered in a 1-2-1 consultation of approximately 10-15 minutes are often discussed. Patients leave feeling better information and less isolated and also receive follow on support.