GP appointments: How to get a weekend or evening doctors appointment in Sheffield under new scheme

The new service is in place from this week and patients will be able to see a GP, nurse or other health professional at a time which is convenient for them.

Patients will be able to book appointments outside normal practice hours between 6.30pm and 8pm Monday to Saturday in 11 locations across the city.

Appointments can be made through the patient’s own practice. Services will include vaccinations, health checks and screenings.

GPs are working together in ‘primary care networks’ (PCN) to offer the service. Primary care networks are small groups of GP practices that work together in different ways to provide services for the patient need in their area. Patients will be able to get an appointment at the dedicated practice site in their network, which will either be their own practice or one close by.

HEALTH: Sheffield woman broke a bone - but doctors found bigger problem

Primary Care Sheffield is running the service for most of the practices in the city. They will make appointments available at certain practice site ‘hubs’ and patients will go to the ‘hub’ in their PCN. They are Porterbrook Medical Centre, Darnall Primary Care Centre, Jordanthorpe Health Centre, Crystal Peaks Medical Centre, Burncross Surgery, Fairlawns Medical Centre, Flowers Health Centre, and Norwood Medical Centre.

However 13 practices – Hillsborough, Townships 2 (Woodhouse area) and West 5 (Broomhill, Walkley, Crookes areas) – are running their scheme themselves within their own network.

Dr Zak McMurray, GP and Medical Director at NHS South Yorkshire said: “Good access to general practice is important to everyone so we welcome these changes in Sheffield.

“Previously patients could access evening and weekend appointments at four hubs across the city and appointments were made by a GP on the same day or with a day or twos notice. From 1 October there are nearly three times as many locations to access these appointments meaning more patients can see a GP or other practice staff on evenings and weekends closer to their homes.

“For the first time patients will also now be able to book evening and weekend appointments, up to two weeks in advance, greatly improving access to general practice appointments for people across Sheffield.”

Despite the announcement on weekend and evening appointments, some patients told the Star they are struggling to get GP appointments.

Gaynor Wilson, of Ecclesall, said she thought it was pretty difficult to get face to face appointments, saying it was “nigh on impossible” at present.

She said: “We waited three weeks for a telephone appointment, and then the phone rang twice, we didn’t get to it, and then got a text message saying ‘we tried to call you’, and they never tried back. we had to then phone to try to get through, which is often a nightmare.”

Margaret Hague, of Middlewood, added: “You can get through, but you have to talk to them on the phone, and I don’t think that’s right, you should be able to go and see them.”

HEALTH: Doctors saw boy's rash - then started emergency treatment