Comment On Department Of Health's Extended Hours Figures By The British Medical Association

Main Category: Primary Care / General Practice
Article Date: 14 Oct 2008 - 9:00 PDT

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Commenting on the figures released today (14/10/08) by the Department of Health on extended hours, Dr Richard Vautrey, Deputy Chairman of the BMA's GP committee said:

"GP practices have been working closely with Primary Care Trusts to come to local agreements that reflect the needs of local people. Before the agreement on extended hours was implemented, the BMA estimated that half of GPs would offer extended hours. This is because these services may not be appropriate in all areas. In rural communities, for example, poor public transport links can make it difficult for patients to access GP services in the evening and so do not represent a good use of NHS resources.

"These figures demonstrate what can be achieved through good working relationships between GPs and health service managers. We hope that these agreements will provide the basis to move forward with a more positive view of what can be achieved by building on existing GP practices."

British Medical Association
http://www.bma.org.uk