15 March 2018
 
Local doctors to open over Easter Bank Holiday

People living in Harrogate and the rural district will be able to book an appointment for routine primary care over the Easter bank holiday weekend in a move designed to make health services more accessible.

Run by doctors from the Harrogate and rural district practices for the benefit of their own patients, the Yorkshire Health Network Extended Access service will be offering appointments at Mowbray Square medical centre in Harrogate between 8:30am and 12:30pm on Good Friday, Easter Saturday, Easter Sunday and Easter Monday. Appointments will also be available at North House in Ripon on Easter Saturday morning.  

Yorkshire Health Network Chief Executive Dr Peter Banks said:

"We launched the Extended Access service as a pilot scheme in December 2017, offering appointments up to 8pm on weekday evenings and on Saturdays and Sundays in Harrogate and Ripon. Feedback has been very positive, with 94% of people surveyed saying they were satisfied with the service and would recommend it to others.

We are considering ways to expand what we offer, and that includes opening over bank holiday weekends such as Easter which is shortly coming up".

The Extended Access scheme is not a walk-in service, but same-day and pre-bookable appointments are available for everyone who is registered with a GP practice in Harrogate, Ripon and the surrounding areas. The service is an extension of the services people get from their own GP, but it is delivered in centralised hubs by those practice teams working in partnership with their colleagues from across the district. All people need to do is speak to the reception team at their usual practice to get access to their routine care at a time that suits them.

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For further information contact:

 Mary Jo Pearson
maryjo@futurehealthpartners.co.uk
07768525063