HEREFORDSHIRE is one of the top performing areas in the country for having GP appointments available at evenings and weekends.

NHS Herefordshire Clinical Commissioning Group rolled out the GP Extended access programme provided by the Taurus Healthcare hubs and as a result 100 per cent of patients are able to access evening and weekend appointments in the county.

There are an additional 1,895 appointments across the three hubs each month, in Hereford, Leominster and Ross on Wye. GPs and nurses are available during weekends and evenings to offer routine and urgent advice and support, if you are not able to make an appointment during traditional opening times – perhaps because of work or caring commitments.

Lesley Woakes, local CCG primary care director, said: “We are really pleased that the pilot has been such a success thanks to the model that Taurus have delivered and that we have been able to continue to commission GP Extended Access so that all patients in Herefordshire are able to access both planned pre-booked and urgent GP advice at evenings and weekends through the three hubs and the out of hours service.

“The hubs offer patients greater choice, increase the number of GP appointments available and help alleviate pressure on A&E.

“Part of the success of the scheme, is that other providers including NHS 111, the ambulance service and A&E can directly refer patients to these GP appointments. However the key has been that the GPs and Nurses are mostly from our own GP practices and there has been ability to see the patient record which supports effective clinical decision making.

“We recognise there is still more work for us to do to support our GP workforce, increase capacity in the system to meet rising demand for services and utilise technology to support patients, however we know we have strong foundations to build upon.”

The hubs were set up as a pilot in 2014 using national Prime Minister’s Challenge Funding to offer extended hours over seven days a week for routine appointments as well as urgent appointments that are made available through your usual GP practice and NHS 111.

Following the success of the pilot the responsibility for the service transferred from NHS England to the CCG who has continued to fund the extended access GP appointments to offer greater choice for patients.

Kim McCready, Taurus Healthcare service manager, said: “The Seven Day Primary Care service in Herefordshire offers a genuine extension to routine primary care.

"We are delighted with the way the patients and public have embraced this service. The commitment, hard work and energy of the teams involved is what makes the service what it is today.”

If you need urgent GP advice or support, phone your GP practice in the first instance or out of hours, phone 111 who can direct you to the right service, including the Taurus hubs.