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.

Patients across Telford and Wrekin and Shropshire who need urgent out-of-hours medical help or advice will need to call 111.

 NHS 111 is much more than a helpline - if you're worried about an urgent medical concern, you can call 111 to speak to a fully trained adviser. Depending on the situation, the NHS 111 team can connect you to generalist and specialist nurses, or even a GP or pharmacist, and can arrange face-to-face appointments should you need one. It is free and available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

There is also a new ‘ASK NHS’ app that has been designed that provides improved access to NHS 111 and other local NHS services. Advice is delivered by the virtual clinician ‘Olivia’ and she takes you through the steps of the symptom checker which can result in the booking of a GP appointment, access to NHS choices, a call back from a clinical expert or access to self-care.

You can download the NHS APP via Google Play (for Android phones) or Apple App Store (for iPhones). If you need more guidance on how to download the app please click here.

If you are a patient living in Wales you should continue to use the Shropdoc number.

During the usual surgery opening hours, the practices phone lines close for lunch between 12:30  to 13:30.  If your call is urgent and you need to speak to a doctor, please phone the surgery on 01299 270 278.  This will put you through to our duty receptionist.

Walk-in Centres

Your nearest Walk-in-Centre is in Shrewsbury (Urgent Care Centre, Royal Shrewsbury Hospital,SY3 8XQ).

NOTE: Please do not ask to see a doctor out of hours unless you genuinely cannot wait until the surgery re-opens.

Call 999 in an emergency. Chest pains and / or shortness of breath constitute an emergency.

111 online is a fast and convenient alternative to the 111 phone service and provides an option for people who want to access 111 digitally. 

Your needs will be assessed and you will be given advice about whether you need:

• Treat yourself at home
• Go to a Primary Care Centre

If you need face to face medical attention you may be asked to attend a Primary Care Centre.

Click here to access NHS 111 online or call 111 to speak to a staff member.