MORE GP appointments on the day they are needed is the aim of a new scheme being provided by surgeries across Worcestershire.
GP surgeries in Evesham and Pershore are among those to have received one-off funding from NHS England to provide extended access to health services.
Health chiefs hope the scheme will offer more than 600 additional appointments per week that are bookable on the day they are needed.
The NHS traditionally sees a rise in demand for primary care services over the winter months and the scheme aims to reduce some of these pressures.
Health bosses hope the scheme will enable patients to book an appointment to see their GP as soon as they become ill, ensuring they do not visit accident and emergency (A&E).
Lynda Dando, Director of Primary Care at the three Worcestershire Clinical Commissioning Groups, said: “This scheme enables people to gain better access to primary care services by offering an increased number of appointments for people to book on the day they’re needed.
“Your GP surgery should be your first port of call for non-urgent, ongoing illnesses or injuries.
“Using a GP saves time as they know your medical history and also frees up other services, including A&E for those who really need to be there.
“The winter months can be very busy for a number of NHS services and any extra capacity that we have will help to reduce some of these pressures.”
