Extra hours at Suffolk GP surgeries
Suffolk GPs have started to offer longer surgery opening times for routine patient appointments.
The changes follow patient satisfaction surveys.
Hardwick House Surgery at Sudbury, Guildhall Surgery in Clare, The Surgery in Glemsford and Hadleigh and Bildeston health centres will be open for up to eight extra hours a week.
Some could begin offering patients appointments as early as 7am. Currently, GP practices have to be available from 8am to 6.30pm, Monday to Friday, but the Government wants to extend opening hours for routine appointments.
A total of 45 of the 68 practices in the Suffolk Primary Care Trust area are now offering extra hours, with others following suit soon.
Surgeries will now open, on average, an extra three hours a week.
Melanie Craig, deputy director of performance at Suffolk PCT said: "This is extremely good news for patients trying to juggle busy lives, who sometimes find it difficult to get to their GP practice for a routine appointment."
Ms Craig said family doctors were using information from last year's national patient satisfaction survey and their own patient surveys to help them decide when to open longer.
The Government asked all PCTs to work towards making sure that at least half the GP practices in their areas are offering extended hours by December 31.
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Friday 25 May 2012
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