GIVING Glasgow's sickest and poorest patients more time with their GP and money advice led to a decrease in A&E visits and less prescription drugs, a scheme found.

The project at four Govan practices also gave patients access to social workers and help with other issue including housing problems.

More than than 30% of the patients had four or more health conditions and GPs had the option to offer patients ‘protected time’ of up to 45 minutes to, “work through their problems.”

Three years on, project leaders say the scheme has led to a decrease in emergency, outpatient and GP appointments.

The doctors found that it also reduced the patients’ reliance on prescription drugs because the root cause of the condition, such as chronic pain, may be stress-related.

The Govan SHIP (Social and health Integrated Partnership ) project aims to tackle the so-called inverse care law, whereby GP surgeries which deal with the most complex patients are the least able to deal with them effectively because they have such a high volume of patients.

Around 951 patients have been involved in the government-funded project, which is now in its third year, at so-called Deep End practices, which serve Glasgow’s most deprived areas.

Dr John Montgomery, of Govan Health Centre, said: “Each principal GP was given about 10% extra time to focus on those patients who were of the greatest need.

“That allowed us to give extended consultations.

“We know from experience who the patients are, who will require longer consultations because we have known them for 30 years.

“A routine 10-minute consultation is never going to tackle someone who has 12 or more health conditions.

“However, this is much more structured than just spending a bit more time with a patient.

“If we are to care manage all aspects of the patient we need an extended team.

“Every month we come together bringing in district nurses, health visitors and crucially a social worker and a links worker, who gives us a link to the voluntary sector.

“This is us now into our third year.

“ As a result of intervention, whether it’s an extended consultation or the Multi Disciplinary Team we have reduced A&E attendances.

“If we look at outpatient clinic appointments, their attendance falls.

“If we look at their contact with the practice, that has also decreased.

“If you invest the time to do this with selected patients, then it’s a win-win situation.

“A lot of these patients are on unnecessary pharmacy. They can be on 16-20 drugs.

“One of the things we were able to do was reduce their reliance on prescription drugs.

“We have diverted them down other routes.

“A lot of these patients will have chronic pain. One of the targets will be reduce their reliance on analgesia.

“Looking at the underlying problem, what is really going on may be an issue with their finances and housing.

“That can mean, it could be a planning consultation that lasts 45 minutes. You’ve got te option to say, I can offer you protected time to go through all your problems.”

The Scottish Conservatives have called for standard GP appointments to be extended from 10-15 minutes.

Dr Montgomery said: “If we simply said we are going to extend the consultation from 10-15 minutes, that’s not going to solve the problem.

“That on its own is not enough.”