Late and weekend GP appointments coming to Corby

The extended access service will mean extra appointments will be available in the town at weekends and in the evening.

Nene CCG, which covers every part of Northamptonshire apart from Corby, was the latest to join the scheme in November but surgeries under Corby CCG’s governance were not part of it.

This morning the health body announced they had signed a deal to bring the service to the town from April 1.

It will be run by Aspiro Healthcare, who run Woodsend Medical Centre in School Place. They will work with the five practices in Corby to ensure patients have access to the service.

The CCG say the service will mean an extra 1,000 GP-related appointments a month - with a GP, nurse, pharmacist, mental health professional or First Contact Practitioner Physiotherapist - will be available between 8am and 8pm on weekdays with a number of slots available at weekends, bank holidays and over Christmas and Easter.

Senior GP partner Dr Akram Khalid from Aspiro Healthcare said: “We are really excited to have been awarded this contract.

“We will work with the local practices and the patients to ensure that this truly delivers the highest quality of care for our patients.

“We look forward to working with all our local practices and clinicians and patients in Corby to ensure patients get the right service at the right time from the right clinician.

“We are an experienced provider who already provide a range of services such as urology, minor surgery and community ear wax from our site for patients in Corby and across north Northamptonshire.”

Toby Sanders, chief executive of Northamptonshire’s CCGs, said: “We understand our patients are leading increasingly busy lives and there is now much more demand to be able to see a GP or nurse outside normal working hours.

“The GP Extended Access Service has been commissioned to make it much more convenient for patients to book an appointment at a time which suits them, including evenings and weekends.

“Patients needing a primary care appointment will still contact their GP practice in the usual way but now may be offered an appointment with the GP Extended Access Service, if this is right for them.”

To book an appointment on or after April 1 or to find out more speak to your practice receptionist.