South Warwickshire GP Federation provided its last Enhanced Access evening and weekend appointments on behalf of Primary Care Networks yesterday (30 June). This change sees PCNs deliver more services directly for local patients and gives the Federation capacity to identify new opportunities to deliver services within primary care that will continue to enhance general practice across South Warwickshire.
Enhanced Access (or Extended Access as it was known originally) was one of the first contracts SWGP secured back in 2015. On behalf of GP practices in South Warwickshire, we set up a network of local hubs to offer evening and weekend appointments for residents who found it difficult to access their GP during standard working hours. Offering a centralised service allowed us to learn quickly, adapt the service to suit local circumstances, and free up GP practices to concentrate on their core activities.
Over the past decade, the service and national contract requirements have changed significantly, most notably in October 2022 when responsibility for delivering Enhanced Access moved to PCNs. Since then, we have continued to operate the service on behalf of our member PCNs until they were ready to take on local delivery of the service.
Over the past 12 months, we have supported a smooth transition to PCN-led Enhanced Access, with ongoing service planning and HR support, training, and staffing support. That transition concluded with the final SWGP-led clinics being delivered on 30 June.
SWGP Service Delivery Manager, Louise Masterson, said:
“Closing SWGP Enhanced Access feels like the end of an era. As one of our first ever services, we’re extremely proud of the number of patients we’ve supported on behalf of our member practices, and the very positive patient feedback we have received.
“For PCNs, this is an exciting opportunity to deliver more services for their patients, and we are pleased to have been able to make the transition as smooth as possible, sharing our learning to help PCNs shape their own approach.
”I would like to thank all the staff that have been part of the Enhanced Access service throughout the past decade for their hard work and support in making this a successful, patient-focused service.”
Patients will continue to benefit from evening and weekend appointments and will book via their normal practice in the same way. For full details of Enhanced Access in your area, visit your surgery’s website or contact your practice.