GP appointments available seven days a week in Tameside and Glossop

Patients registered with a GP in Tameside or Glossop can now book a doctors appointment seven days a week.

Evening and weekend appointments are being introduced as part of a new seven day pilot scheme, which aims to improve access to local primary care services.

Patients can now book appointments with a GP between 6.30pm to 8pm Monday to Friday and 9am to midday at weekends.

These new opening hours are available from three primary care ‘hubs’ located at Ashton Primary Care Centre, Glossop Primary Care Centre and Thornley House Medical Centre in Hyde.

The service is available to anyone registered with a GP in Tameside or Glossop and patients can book appointments by contacting their own GP practice.

Dr Syed Asad Ali, a local Denton GP and Clinical Lead for the seven day service in Tameside and Glossop, said:

"For the first time in our area, we are able to offer routine appointments in the evenings and weekends for all of our residents. This pilot service is unique in that patients will be able to attend any of the three sites across Tameside and Glossop and the healthcare professional they see will have access to the patient’s medical record. We hope this new service will complement the excellent existing care patients currently receive from their own surgery by adding greater flexibility."

Local GP federation Orbit Healthcare and primary care provider gtd healthcare are delivering the scheme on behalf of Tameside and Glossop Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG). The CCG has secured funding from NHS England to trial the seven day service throughout 2016.

Steve Allinson, Chief Operating Officer, NHS Tameside and Glossop Clinical

Commissioning Group said:

"I think it’s great that local GPs have come together to offer appointments to patients in this way. Most people will continue to see their GP as they always have. However, people who sometimes cannot attend daytime appointments now have a further option and can see a GP later into the evening or on a weekend morning.”

There are also plans to offer practice nurse appointments as part of the seven day service, so patients can book in for routine tests, health advice, and reviews for long-term conditions such as asthma and COPD.

Clinicians staffing the evening and weekend service will be able to access patients’ medical records, subject to the patient’s consent.