A campaign to highlight the vital role of providers delivering urgent primary care services, supporting the NHS through winter pressures and beyond, has been launched across the UK.

Shropdoc, which provides out-of-hours care, to communities across England and Wales, is highlighted in the national campaign by UHUK which raises awareness of the vital services delivered in the urgent, primary care sector.

UHUK – the body that represents a partnership of the providers who cover 64 per cent of the UK population – is seeking to influence policies in urgent and emergency care.

Shropdoc, a member of UHUK, provides urgent primary care services for patients across Shropshire, Wales and other parts the UK. A cooperative of GPs, the not-for-profit social enterprise provides a range of urgent primary care services 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, helping to reduce the pressure on hospital admissions.

CEO Daniel Robinson said: “We treat thousands of patients with advice over the phone, face to face appointments and home visits that would otherwise need to wait to visit their GP, call an ambulance or go to accident and emergency departments.

“This frees up NHS services for people who need them most and allows for limited resources to be redirected back into other health and care services. We work closely with local NHS partners to co-ordinate care for patients around the clock.”

All UHUK member organisations follow social enterprise principles, meaning any surpluses are reinvested into services or communities. The current campaign, launched at the end of November, aims to shine a spotlight on their work and the contribution they make to the NHS, local people and communities.

UHUK will reach out to key policy and decision makers asking that UHUK and members be consulted more regularly on the future direction of health and care policy.

UHUK CEO Conor Burke said: “Providers like Shropdoc don’t always get the same recognition as other areas of the health and care system, but they are just as vital to the people who use them and to the NHS as a whole - especially at this time of year as the need for services surges.

“Urgent and integrated healthcare services are vital to addressing wider challenges facing the NHS by ensuring valuable resources are used correctly – getting people the best health outcome and safeguarding services for those with life-threatening emergencies.

“We are leading the national development and local implementation of best practice in urgent and integrated care through our Innovation Programme while we deliver frontline services every day, working with partners to keep people well, independent and at home.

“We want to bring that knowledge and spirit of collaboration to the table, working with policymakers to shape the future of urgent and integrated care in the NHS.”

For more information about the campaign visit www.uhuk.co.uk/campaign