Palliative care non-WCCG communication requests

The LMC is aware of a recent communication sent to GP practices from the Palliative Care service regarding proposed changes to communication workflows, including requests for dedicated "monitored" email addresses and direct telephone lines.

It is unfortunate that the LMC was not consulted prior to this request being issued. While we fully understand the shared frustrations regarding communication between primary and secondary care, the requests made by the Palliative Care service are, in our view, unsustainable and unreasonable given the current pressures on general practice.

The request for a "constantly monitored" email address that provides real-time confirmation of receipt and action is not feasible. GP practices are not resourced to provide a live "command" email service, and diverting staff to monitor an inbox for real-time updates would detract from essential clinical and administrative duties.

We would like to remind colleagues and our partners in secondary care that there are already clear, established, and secure methods for communication:

• WCCG (Welsh clinical communications gateway) This remains the primary and appropriate digital route for formal communication.

• GP Bypass Numbers: Most practices already have established bypass lines for professional use to avoid public queues.

The LMC advice to all GPs is to decline the request to provide a bespoke, real-time monitored email address. If you choose to respond to the Palliative Care team, we suggest the following wording:

"While we appreciate the desire for efficient communication, it is not possible for the practice to provide a dedicated email address that is monitored in real-time. Such a request exceeds our current capacity. We kindly ask that you continue to use the established WCCG routes for written communication and the existing GP bypass number for urgent verbal queries."

We are often just as frustrated when trying to contact secondary care clinicians. However, the solution is to optimise the use of existing systems rather than creating new, unresourced administrative burdens for individual practices.

The LMC will be reaching out to the Palliative Care service leads to discuss a more integrated and mutually agreeable approach to communication.