Over 50% of GP Surgeries based in the UK are looking to extended their opening hours to evenings and weekends to meet the patient’s demand. This was a target set by the government earlier this year to improve patient care.

So far patients have very limited access to seeing their GP and rarely get an opportunity to see their family doctor within 48 Hrs. On occasions an appointment can take up to 5 days before you are even seen in some surgeries. With the hours and weekends extended this will have a dramatic effect on the amount of patients choosing to go to A & E when they are unable to see their GP straight away.

This will change the amount of locum doctors needed in the A & E departments but may increase in the amount of agency doctors needed for GP Practises.

At present there are approx 8,200 family practises in the UK, the only way this change can be implemented and pushed forward is to review the amount GP’s are being paid, talks are in progress with the government negotiators and the Medical Association.

Negotiations in pay will not be completed by the end of the financial year so at it would appear more locum agency doctors will be needed to cover the hours.

MPP Locums will be monitoring this area of development and will inform you when any new information comes to light.

MPP Locums have a keen interest in the changes and improvements of the medical sector; we are constantly recruiting doctors of high quality to meet the demands of the health sector.