PATIENTS with long-term health conditions, young people and shift workers are just some of the people expected to benefit from a planned extension to the availability of appointments at Somerset’s GP practices.

They have extended the times when appointments are available into the early evening and at weekends with a range of primary care clinicians.

The scheme fulfils a pledge made by the Government in 2015 to improve access to primary care services. 

All of Somerset’s 71 GP practices are currently contracted to deliver primary care medical services in ‘core’ opening times from 8am until 6.30pm. 

Through this new national scheme, patients registered at a Somerset GP practice will now also be offered appointments from 6.30pm to 8.00pm, Monday to Friday, and some appointments over the weekend.

There are ten groups of between three and 13 practices in each local group in Somerset working together to deliver this improvement to routine appointments.

Health staff working evenings and weekends will have access to the patient’s medical records and will be able to provide the same standard of care as patients would expect during normal opening times.

Patients who wish to book a routine appointment in the evening or weekend can do so by phoning their own GP practice receptionist from Monday to Friday between 8am and 6.30pm.

The receptionist will advise them of the time and place of their appointment, which could be at a neighbouring GP surgery.