A DOCTORS practice has applied to reduce its opening hours in order to maintain its triage service.

Haygarth Doctors has made an application to Powys Local Health Board to reduce opening hours at both Hay and Talgarth Medical Centres from October 1, 2020.

If the application is approved Hay Medical Centre will be closed on a Tuesday and Wednesday afternoon from 1pm.

Talgarth Medical Centre will be closed on a Monday, Thursday and Friday afternoon from 1pm.

Emergency appointments will be continue to be available on one site in the afternoon as they have been.

The prescription collection points (hatches) will remain open until 5pm at the closed medical centres to allow patients to collect prescriptions.

Councillor for Hay-on-Wye Gareth Ratcliffe said he had received the news from the local doctors surgery.

The message said: "We have been advised that the funding stream to support our Total Nurse Triage project is due to cease at the end of September and therefore we were advised to make choices regarding service provision should we wish the pilot to continue.

"The Total Nurse Triage pilot has been a hugely successful project and has been proven to be beneficial to our patients and our practice team.

"This pilot has greatly improved patient access to GP appointments, previously patients had to wait of two to four weeks for a routine GP appointment and the wait reduced to an average of three to four days after the Total Nurse Triage was introduced.

"We were able to increase the time of a GP appointment, allowing the GPs to spend more time with patients when needed.

"The Total Nurse Triage system is completely embedded within the practice, it is now an integral part of our working practice for both staff and patients alike.

"The reduction in opening hours will allow us to maintain this essential service for our patients."

Anybody wishing to comment on the application should contact: Jayne Lawrence, assistant director of primary care at the Primary Care Department, Powys Teaching Health Board, The Gwalia, Llandrindod Wells, by email: PrimaryCareGeneral.Powys@wales.nhs.uk with any concerns with a copy to the Community Health Council: enquiries.powyschc@waleschc.org.uk by Friday, September 18.