More GP’s offering extended hours

NHS Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale say that they have made major progress in offering extended opening hours to patients at GP surgeries.

Latest figures, for December, released by the Government suggested that the borough was performing below the national target of 50% of GP’s within each health trust area offering extended hours.

But NHS Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale have made progress since December and now 63% (22 out of 35) of GP's surgeries in the borough offer early morning, evening or weekend appointments.

Vivienne Ben-David, head of primary care at NHS Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale, said: “It’s important that GP’s offer flexible appointment times to ensure patients are able to get an appointment when it’s convenient to them. It will greatly help to improve the patient experience, but it will help to reduce the number of patients that do not attend appointments they have made.

“Thank you must be extended to our local GP’s for continuing to work with us on providing this service.”

Every household in the borough will soon receive a leaflet about local GP extended hours, listing all of the practices that are taking part.

This information will be updated regularly on the NHS HMR website:

www.hmr.nhs.uk