70% of Rochdale GPs open all hours

People in Rochdale have a 70% chance of seeing a doctor out of working hours.

Figures published yesterday by the Department of Health show 25 of the town’s 35 surgeries are offering extended hours — the equivalent of 71.4% of all practices. It puts the figure for Rochdale slightly below the 73.5% of surgeries across England.

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. Not only does it improve the patient experience, 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.”

The push for extended opening hours follows changes to the GP contract agreed with the British Medical Association (BMA) last year.

It follows changes to the GP contract to reward practices that extend their opening hours by an average of three hours a week — in the early mornings, evenings or weekends or a combination of these.

Health Minister Ben Bradshaw said: “The public tell us they want greater flexibility in being able to see a GP at more convenient times and this is one important element to further improving the NHS.

“It is great news that almost three quarters of GP practices across England are now offering the public early morning, evening or weekend opening, and that some PCTs now have 100% of GP surgeries offering extended opening hours.”

Each surgery will do things slightly differently, depending on when its patients want the extra appointments. For some it might be earlier in the morning and for others one or two evenings a week.