Another GPs surgery opens all hours

Another GPs surgery has opened all hours in the last month and now people in Rochdale have more than a 70% chance of seeing a doctor out of working hours.

Figures published yesterday (Tuesday 9 June) by the Department of Health show 26 of the town’s 35 surgeries are offering extended hours — the equivalent of 74.3% of all practices. It puts the figure for Rochdale slightly below the 75.8% 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.

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.