Most GPs offering extended hours
pharmafile | January 15, 2009 | News story | |Â Â NHS, primaryÂ
More than two-thirds of GP surgeries are now offering extended opening hours, according to official figures.
The Department of Health says 69% of England's 8,262 surgeries in England are opening during early mornings, evenings and at weekends.
The government has been promoting longer opening hours as a key service improvement, and in March 2008 forced GPs to alter their contract to extend opening.
Despite this, many patients say they are still not able to arrange an appointment outside normal working hours.
But the government has not promised to make extended opening available across the country in one go. Half of PCTs' practices were required to offer extended opening by the end of last year, with the rest to follow this year.
This national target was met three months early in September.
"This has far exceeded the original target of half of GP surgeries offering extended opening hours by the end of 2008," said health minister Ben Bradshaw.
"Flexible and convenient opening hours provide millions more appointments and make it much easier for patients to see a GP."
Bradshaw concluded: "I would strongly encourage anyone who is not satisfied with access in their area to take this up with their local NHS."
The South-West of England has the highest proportion of practices offering extended hours, with 82%.
The North-West (59%) and West Midlands (63%) have the lowest.
These two areas are also the only ones in the country in which not all PCTs achieved the 50% target.
In London, which has the highest number of practices (1,529), 70% are offering longer opening.
The North-East is the only area to see the percentage of practices offering extended hours actually fall (by 0.3%).
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