Medical centre extends hours

A Shropshire medical practice can now open as late as 9pm seven days a week after Government pressure on GPs to extend hours.

Marysville Medical Practice in Shrewsbury will be able to open from 7am until 9pm Monday to Sunday after plans for extended hours were approved.

Each primary care trust must have one surgery open from 8am to 8pm seven days a week from next April.

The plans for Marysville, in Brook Street, Belle Vue, were granted by Shrewsbury and Atcham Borough Council's development control committee last night.

Councillors agreed unanimously with the surgery's plans, which were submitted in response to Government pressure on GPs.

Each primary care trust must have one surgery open between 8am and 8pm seven days a week from next April.

But a new GP-led health centre will also open in Shropshire, probably in Shrewsbury, in April, and will be open seven days a week from 8am to 8pm.

The longer hours have been granted on a temporary basis for three years and in a report to the development committee, the applicants stated: "The hours of 7am to 9pm is a worst case scenario."

It said: "Hopefully, we would not need to have staff here before 7.30am and they would certainly be away as soon as possible after 8pm, but if a complex case arrives then staff could be available after 8pm."