PATIENTS will have to discuss their medical needs with a newly appointed 'care navigator' before being given an appointment with a doctor.

A new pilot scheme is to be trialled in Hyndburn to support and guide patients to access the most appropriate NHS service.

This scheme, called Care Navigation, will see 'care navigators' most commonly GP receptionists and admin staff, who have been given specialist training, direct patients to the right health professional first time.

Michelle Pilling, lay member patient and public involvement, and deputy chairman at NHS East Lancashire Clinical Commissioning Group, said: “Across East Lancashire we are working hard to make sure that when people need to see a GP, they have access to one quickly and in a way that suits them, be that in person or over the phone.

"We know that sometimes patients find navigating health services difficult and in some cases the GP practice might not even be the right place at all for the query.

"Sometimes patients could be seen and treated quicker by a nurse, dentist or a pharmacist for example. That's where care navigation comes in.

“It’s about giving patients choice, and supporting and guiding them with the right information about other health care professionals who have the expertise to deal with a problem; often quicker and without the need to see the GP each time.”

A patients' champion said he was concerned about patients having to discuss medical issues with an unqualified staff member.

Russ McLean, chairman of the Pennine Lancashire Patient Voices Group, said: “I’m quite alarmed by this, as wasn’t the NHS 111 set-up to exactly this?

“A lot of the patients who I’ve spoken to are quite concerned as they understandably don’t want to share their personal details with GP receptionists.

“From what I’ve been told, some GP receptionists can be quote frosty and people don’t want to talk to them about matters that they’d rather speak to a clinician about.

“I know some patient engagement has been done to introduce this scheme but not enough in my mind.”

Health bosses said when a patient contacts the practice, the care navigator will ask for a brief outline of the problem so they can identify the patient’s need.

They could be signposted to a nurse/advanced nurse practitioner, a dentist, optician, pharmacist or talking therapies.

Care Navigation in Hyndburn will run throughout the autumn and will be gradually rolled out throughout East Lancashire by early next year.