GP Appointments Weekend & Evening – Press Release
Local GP practices are working together to offer patients more access to appointments, in the early evenings and weekends, from Monday, 1 October, 2018.
In Shropshire, local practices will work together in a network of ‘hubs’ to provide this Extended Access service. This will ensure patients can access appointments at a nearby practice in their local area – the practices will take turns on a rota basis and patients will be advised about location at time of booking, so they can make an informed choice.
The pre-bookable appointments will be available between:
- Weekday evenings (Monday to Friday) between 6.30pm and 8pm (at a local area hub)
- Saturdays between 8am and 1pm (at a local area hub)
- Sundays and bank holidays between 8.30am and 12.30pm (at a single site in central Shrewsbury)
Arranging a pre-bookable evening, weekend or bank holiday appointment is easy to do – patients simply need to contact their practice (who they are currently registered with), during normal opening hours, and speak to the practice receptionist or a member of the practice team who will be able to help. Appointments may not be with your registered GP but will be with a GP or other qualified healthcare professional.
Information to help patients understand more about Extended Access is available on the NHS England website, visit https://www.england.nhs.uk/gp/gpfv/redesign/improving-access/.