Extended Access – Local GP practices working together to offer more convenient appointment times for patients
As from 1st October, 2018, we will be part of a network of practices (known as ‘hubs’) in Shropshire, working together to offer patients ‘Extended Access’ to pre-bookable appointments - in the evenings, at the weekend and during bank holidays.
Part of the national agenda by NHS England, Extended Access means patients will be able to make pre-bookable appointments to see a GP, practice nurse, or other qualified healthcare professional, at a time which may be more convenient for them.
In Shropshire, local practices will work together in a network of ‘hubs’ to provide this service. The ‘hubs’ will take turns to provide the Extended Access appointments to patients. This means patients could be offered an appointment at their own surgery or at a nearby practice in the local area (part of the hub). Patients will be advised about appointment location at time of booking, enabling them to make an informed choice about their where and when they access care.
Locally the pre-bookable appointments will be available as follows:
- Weekday evenings (Monday to Friday)
between 6.30pm and 8pm (at a local area hub)
- Saturdays
between 8am and 1pm (at a local area hub)
- Sundays and bank holidays
between 8.30am and 12.30pm (at a single site in central Shrewsbury)
Arranging a pre-bookable evening, weekend or bank holiday appointment is easy to do - patients simply need to contact us, during normal opening hours, and speak to the practice receptionist or a member of the practice team who will be able to help. Appointments may not be with your registered GP but will be with a GP or other qualified healthcare professional.
Extended Access adds to the existing range of healthcare services already available in Shropshire to help patients, including pharmacists, NHS 111, the walk-in centre, minor injury units, and A&E (which is there 24/7 for life threatening serious emergencies only).
It isn’t always necessary to see a GP for minor and common conditions - find out more about
how to self-care for these types of conditions on the Self-care section of the NHS Shropshire
Clinical Commissioning Group website (https://shropshireccg.nhs.uk/health-advice/selfcare/).
It is important to be aware of how long common conditions should take to clear up
and always seek medical advice if you are unsure or if you feel it is an emergency.
Extended Access comes into effect as from 1st October, 2018.
Information to help patients understand more about Extended Access is available on the NHS England website, visit https://www.england.nhs.uk/gp/gpfv/redesign/improving-access/.
Non-Urgent Appointments
Non-urgent appointments may be made by telephone on the dedicated appointments line 01691 653600, online or in person at the reception desk. The times of surgeries are given above. Patients are usually allocated ten minutes for their appointment.
However, some consultations such as cervical smears, coil fittings and minor operations need longer, so please let the receptionist know if this is the case. It is better for patients to see one particular doctor for most problems, but unfortunately this may not always be possible. We are able to offer a limited number of early morning appointments between 08.10 and 08:30.
For patients who have difficulty getting into the surgery during normal hours, we offer GP and nurse appointments between 8:00-11:30am on Saturdays. All appointments must be booked in advance, we do not offer a walk-in facility.
If you attend with complex health issues or need to discuss a list of problems, it may not be possible for the doctor or nurse to deal with everything at one time and you may be asked to book another appointment.
Whilst clinicians make every effort to keep to time, there may be occasions when you are kept waiting beyond your appointment time and we apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.
Click here to book/cancel your appointment online (you must be registered)
Ask at reception for a registration form which provides all the information you need to use the EMIS Access internet facility. You will need to bring some form of ID with you (photographic if possible) before you can be issued with a password and PIN number.
Urgent Appointments
We try to reserve several appointments for urgent cases throughout each weekday. If you need an urgent consultation, please telephone or come to the surgery. If during the consultation the doctor feels that your request for an urgent appointment is unreasonable, you may be asked to book a routine appointment for another time. Urgent appointments are not available online.
Cancelling Appointments
As many as 50 appointments are wasted every week when patients fail to turn up. Please make sure you contact the receptionist if the appointment is no longer required. This can be done by telephoning 653600 or online via the link above. Unless the receptionist is advised beforehand the time cannot be allocated to somebody else.
Urgent Visits and Emergencies
For patients requiring urgent home visits or in the case of an emergency, telephone 654646. If an immediate response is required, the emergency ambulance service can be contacted by dialling 999.