The NHS has ordered GP surgeries to stop half-day closings in England, this will make more than a quarter of a million more appointments available.
As part of the NHS Long Term plan, GP surgeries will have to seek permission from local health authorities to close during working hours or they will lose funding which is worth over £40,000 per practice.
In England, over 700 GP surgeries closed for part of the week and a small amount are only opening for 15 hours per week. Half day closures mean that an estimated one million hours of GP time could have been lost in the past year.
Dr Nikki Kanani, acting director of NHS primary care, said: “By curbing half day closures we will be freeing up hundreds of thousands of appointments at a time when we know it can sometimes be tricky to see your GP.
“Whilst occasionally practices need to close for training that ensures the up to date skills of family doctors, our changes aim to further reduce regular half day closures and improve the availability of appointments across core hours in the week, supporting the best possible patient access in primary care.”
