VALE residents are reminded that routine appointments are available at primary care services in the evenings and at weekends.
The appointments are available between 6.30pm and 8pm on weekdays and at certain times at the weekend.
NHS South Worcestershire Clinical Commissioning Group of local doctors say if you need one of these appointments, you can pre-book by contacting your own surgery during its opening hours.
The extended access appointments will be either at the practice itself, or a nearby hub practice, where GPs, nurses and healthcare assistants offer routine appointments.
However if the practice is closed there is information on its website with telephone numbers for the hubs if a patient needs to book a routine appointment.
The national Improved Access scheme was introduced locally to provide more choice, greater convenience and increased access to GP and nurse appointments outside of normal working hours.
Lynda Dando, Director of Primary Care for the three Worcestershire CCGs, said: “We’re pleased to be able to offer this service to assist those patients who struggle to access GP or nurse appointments during the day.
“However, a lot of these extra appointments aren’t being used, as patients don’t know they are available. We would encourage patients to get in touch with their surgery to find out more if they need book outside of normal working hours. This is a great example of how primary care is evolving across Worcestershire, as we strive to continue to offer the best services possible for our residents.”
If you require urgent treatment out of normal opening hours and it’s not an emergency, call NHS 111 who can talk you through your healthcare options, including access to Out of Hours GP appointments.
You can find out more about Improved Access appointments at www.worcestershire.nhs.uk/winter/extended-access
