Hours to be extended at Telford GP practices

CREDIT: This story was first seen in the Shropshire Star

The new hours will include evenings, weekends and bank holidays, creating extra appointment slots. It is one of a number of plans to make GPs more accessible, the Shropshire Star reports.

Other plans will mean patients with no fixed address can access any GP practice and request an appointment and as of July 1, patients who are not from the Telford and Wrekin, Shropshire, or Staffordshire area, will also be able to access any GP practice and request an appointment.

By Autumn 2017, a new streaming service will also be introduced at The Princess Royal Hospital, ensuring patients have access to the most appropriate treatment for their needs.

It comes as the Malling Health Wrekin walk-in practice is closing at the hospital, but health bosses say the new measures will remove the need for the service.

Dr Jo Leahy, from Telford and Wrekin Clinical Commissioning Group said: “We have been working with our local GP practices for almost 12 months now to identify how we can provide greater cover across the area for our patients, including better access to GP services.

“This follows a number of conversations we have had with patients and local patient participation groups.

“It is clear that, by creating a comprehensive GP access system, we will be able to offer a more robust service with extended opening hours to meet the needs of our local population and give them access to GP services nearer to their homes.

“In improving access to GP services we will also remove the need for the Malling Health Wrekin walk-in service, located at Telford Princess Royal Hospital.

“The decision to not extend the contract has meant we are able to reinvest the money into GP access services ensuring we are providing a better service for everyone in community.”

The contract with Malling Health Wrekin GP Practice will end on July 31.

All patients who are registered at the practice will have received a letter advising them to re-register with a different GP practice and outlining with whom, and how, they can do this.

Any patient who has not re-registered will automatically be allocated a new GP practice. There are seven GP practices within two miles of the current walk-In centre.