PATIENTS with long-term health conditions, young people and shift workers are among people expected to benefit from a planned extension to the availability of appointments at Somerset’s GP practices.

Surgeries across the county have extended the times when appointments are available into the early evening and at weekends with a range of primary care clinicians.

The scheme fulfils a Government pledge made in 2015 to improve access to primary care services, which it believes could eventually improve access to as many as seven million patients a year across England.

All of Somerset’s 71 GP Practices are currently contracted to deliver primary care medical services in ‘core’ opening times from 8am until 6.30pm.

Through the new national scheme, patients registered at a Somerset GP practice will now also be offered appointments from 6.30pm to 8pm Monday to Friday and some weekend times.

There are 10 groups of between three and 13 practices in each local group in Somerset working together to deliver the improved access to routine appointments at evenings and weekends for the local registered population.

Health staff working evenings and weekends will have access to the patient’s medical records and will be able to provide the same high standard of care patients would expect during normal opening times.

Patients who wish to book a routine appointment in the evening or weekend can do so by telephoning their own GP practice receptionist from Monday to Friday between 8am and 6.30pm.

The receptionist will advise them of the time and location of their appointment.

Patients will be advised at the time of booking that they may not be able see a GP or health professional of their choice and may need to attend their appointment at a neighbouring GP surgery.

Dr Ed Ford, chairman of the Somerset Clinical Commissioning Group, said: “Extending the availability of primary care appointments to the evenings and weekends should be a significant change for those patients who find it difficult to attend a primary care appointment during the day time.”

The extension to routine GP services at evenings and weekends does not replace the current Somerset Out-Of-Hours Urgent Primary Care Service.

If patients or their family members become ill overnight or at the weekend and need medical advice or help outside opening times, they should continue to call NHS 111.