Thumbs up for Shropshire evening GP booking scheme

About 3,500 people have used Shropdoc's GP Extended Opening extended hours service since it was launched in January 2016.

Everyone asked about the service has called for it to continue.

The extended hours service offers extra routine bookable appointments across a network of 37 GP practices in Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin and Stafford and the surrounding area.

Users have a single phone number that can be used to contact the service and arrange appointments between 6pm and 8pm on weekdays and on weekend mornings.

Though it was initially a temporary project, those behind it said they are looking for it to be extended further in the new year. Nothing has yet been confirmed.

Figures collected from the monthly patient satisfaction survey has shown that 100 per cent of people who had used the extended hours service wanted it to be kept. It also showed that 81 per cent of people who have used the service did so on a weekday evening.

Seven per cent of people who used the service also said that if it had not been available, they would have used the accident and emergency department, showing that it is taking some pressure off the service.

Hospital bosses have previously said A&E is being stretched by people visiting when they could be better treated elsewhere.

Dan Robinson, project manager, said: "It has been fantastic. Many patients struggle to access routine appointments in daytime hours due to work commitments so it can be difficult to take time off to see a doctor for a regular check up."

The £4.2 million funding for the project, along with other changes to services in the county came from the Prime Minister's GP Access Fund following a bid from Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin GP Federation, Shropdoc and GP First, which is the GP Federation covering Staffordshire.

It paid for a 12-month project which included developing online booking systems and a 24/7 telephone hub, more consultation options for patients such as email, phone and Skype, and new ways of sharing clinical records across all sites.

A Shropdoc spokesman said: "This project is the result of a successful bid for funding from the Prime Minister's GP Access Fund, which aims to improve patient access to general practice.

"It is one of only 37 successful applications approved by NHS England across the country."

The support for the appointments scheme is the latest boost for Shropdoc.

Earlier this year the not-for-profit company saw its contract to look after the out of hours GP service for the county extended until 2018.

At the time of the announcement Dr Russell Muirhead, chairman of Shropdoc, said the organisation would have "an extremely good case" to put forward that it should be allowed to continue when the contract comes up for grabs again.

Dr Muirhead said it cost about £7 million a year to run the service across the county but insisted it was worth every penny, describing it as "good value".

The evening and weekends appointments scheme is a pilot service and only patients registered to one of the 37 specific practices can book the extended hours appointments.

To book or check if you eligible for an extended hours appointment call 0333 222 6649.