Circle of General Practitioners Central Coast and AZ Ostend together to build a General Practitioner Guard Post Central Coast
The out-of-hours GP service is established to meet the permanence of primary care outside the regular opening hours of the GP. About sixty general practitioners from Ostend and Bredene are grouping together in the Central Coast General Practitioner Guard Post their efforts to provide the population of Ostend and Bredene, more than 100,000 inhabitants, with effective first-line assistance.
The on-call service will be active on weekdays from 7:00 PM to 7:00 AM and all day on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays. The service always works by appointment.
Better patient triage
You can contact the on-call service with urgent medical problems that cannot wait until the next working day of the GP. Due to the increasingly busy on-call services, the out-of-hours GP post was established in 2012 at Edith Cavellstraat 54-56 in collaboration with the City of Ostend. The GPs here have consultations by appointment during the weekend.
Since 1 June 2021, the sentry has been recognized by the RIZIV/INAMI and funding has been provided for the necessary support for reception and transport. The cooperation between sentry and emergencies is recommended and encouraged by the government. The new location of Huisartsenwachtpost Middenkust, with the necessary facilities, will benefit the operation.
The commissioning of the sentry is planned for the third quarter of 2023 without delay. Through good cooperation, a fair distribution of the patient flow can take place between the sentry post or emergency service. In the interest of the patient, there is an even better cooperation. “The right patient with the right doctor.”
Impact of the works
Construction will start on Monday, November 7, 2022. Until the end of May 2023, the Konterdamkaai interrupted. The emergency service, supplier access and the parking tower for employees will remain accessible via the Konterdamkaai, only coming from the Ringlaan. The visitor’s car park is accessible from Gouwelozestraat. Part of the Berthe Tratsaertstraat will be occupied as a construction site.
Appropriate integration into the environment
This new-build expansion project includes the out-of-hours GP post, an expansion of the emergency department and a basement with possible use for medical-technical services. The construction of 3 upper floors is conceptually and structurally possible in a later phase. The out-of-hours GP post is designed to fit architecturally and spatially with the existing hospital buildings and the green environment. On the side of the city center/Maria Hendrikapark, after the completion of the out-of-hours GP, the non-binding zone will be replanted with regional planting, so that this corner of the hospital site will connect in a green way with the environment.
A fresh, modern look-and-feel (beige-grey natural stone-look tile floors, white walls and furniture with wood accents) creates a soothing waiting and consultation experience. The patient can immediately register at a reception and take a seat in an open waiting room with a children’s play area. The out-of-hours GP post has 3 fully equipped consultation rooms and a separate zone with rest, relaxation and meeting rooms for doctors and nurses. There is also a connecting corridor with the Emergency Department.
Safety and comfort for patients and their attendants
Safety and comfort for patients and their supervisors and the consulting general practitioners are paramount. For example, in the event of a new pandemic, the rest room can be converted into an adapted waiting and consultation room with separate entrance and exit and a pandemic axis between the GP out-of-hours post and the Emergency Department. In this way, the out-of-hours GP service can continue to function safely and independently for the other patients.