Surgery Hours
Contents
GP
Core Hours
Out-of-Hours
NHS
Direct
GP Core Hours
Core GP practice hours are
defined as 8am–6.30pm, Monday to Friday. Although the practice has
responsibility for registered patient care during this period it
does not mean that the surgery must remain open to the public
throughout all these hours. At present practices set their own
surgery opening hours and have the ability to change these without
PCT agreement. When it is not open during core hours the
practice is responsible for ensuring that patients receive, and
know how to access, GP services.
During 2006 standardised and
independently conducted practice patient surveys will ask practice
populations whether their surgery offers convenient opening hours,
including an early morning, evening or Saturday surgery, with
rewards for those that satisfy patients.
By 2007/08 the Government
has promised that opening hours (reflecting patient
preferences) will be agreed between PCTs and practices, with
contractual incentives introduced to encourage practices to offer
longer and more convenient opening hours.
Top of
Page 
Out-of-Hours
The out-of-hours period is
defined as 6.30pm-8am on weekdays, the whole of weekends, Bank
Holidays and public holidays. Practices may opt-out of
responsibility for their registered patients during these
hours; and in most areas this has been expected of all
practices. Under such circumstances provision of emergency primary
care is the responsibility of the local Primary Care
Organisation (PCO).
Whether it has opted out or not,
the practice must advertise to patients the
arrangements for services in the out-of-hours period, and how the
patient may contact such services. This information must
be included in the practice leaflet, and is usually
supplied by automatic transfer through the telephone
or contained in the recorded telephone message of the surgery
outside core hours. It should be on the practice website where
applicable.
Top of
Page
NHS Direct
Outside core hours patients may
also wish to contact NHS Direct - the 24-hour nurse advice and
health information service. The service provides confidential
information on:
- What to do if you or your
family is feeling ill.
- Particular health conditions.
- Local healthcare services.
- Self help and support
organisations.
When a person phones
NHS Direct, they are asked to provide some basic
information about themselves and to describe the nature of the
call. The personal information will include name, address,
telephone number and GP.
NHS Direct (England and
Wales): 0845 4647
NHS24 (Scotland):
08454 242424
Top of
Page