The Surgery at Ramsbury

Extended Opening Hours for GP Practices

There has been a lot in the media recently about the Government’s plan to extend GP opening hours and it is likely to become more of an issue in the coming weeks.  This letter sets out the situation as we see it, to explain what we would like to see happen and to seek your views.

Following the revision to GP services in 2004 the Primary Care Trusts took over the emergency care of patients between 6.30 pm and 8.00am and at weekends.  THERE ARE NO PLANS TO CHANGE THIS ARRANGEMENT.

The Government has been looking at forcing GP surgeries to open for ROUTINE appointments outside the current hours of 8.00am to 6.30pm (either in the evening, weekends or early morning).  This may seem an attractive option for those whose work or whose other commitments make it difficult to come during the day, but opening the surgery for longer hours will have some less welcome effects.

One of the strengths of NHS General Practice has been the continuity of care which has resulted from the individual doctor/patient relationship, especially for those with chronic illnesses.  We feel this is important and surveys both here and across the country have shown that patients do too, and this would be adversely affected by extended opening.

Increasingly patient care involves many team members (nurses, chiropodists, dispensers, health visitors, midwives, counsellors and the hospital pathology labs) and no arrangements have been made to provide these services.  As doctors on our own out of normal hours what we could offer is a much reduced service compared with normal hours.   If we are to open extended hours it will also involve the receptionists and we feel it is unnecessary to intrude further into their family time.

At present we are the only GP practice in Wiltshire open on Saturday mornings and we would like to continue this; but on our and our patients terms not the Government’s.  They insist that the Saturday morning would be for pre booked routine appointments only.  We feel that it should be for urgent appointments and for visits to seriously ill patients.  Patients with genuine difficulty getting to weekday surgeries have always been seen on Saturday mornings.

Our recent patient surveys have shown 97% to 98% satisfaction with opening hours but the Government is persisting with its plans.  It is uncertain how much your, our or the BMA’s opinions will be listened to by the Government but we would welcome your comments to allow us to lobby the BMA and to shape our own services.

Drs Owen-Jones, Symon, Rayner, Muller and Wardley

Ramsbury & Wanborough Surgery

February 2008

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