How to access out-of-hours services - The NHS in England

Out-of-hours services

The NHS pledges to provide services at a time that's convenient for you.

Outside normal surgery hours you can still phone your GP surgery, but you'll usually be directed to an out-of-hours service. The out-of-hours period is from 6.30pm to 8.00am on weekdays and all day at weekends and on bank holidays.

If it is not an immediate emergency then call NHS Direct on 0845 4647 (or call NHS 111 if it is available in your area). NHS Direct (or NHS 111) is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It can provide medical advice and details of the best local service that can provide care. Telephone consultations and triage (an assessment of how urgent your medical problem is) are an important part of all out-of-hours care.

Since 2004, GPs have been able to choose whether to provide 24-hour care for their patients or to transfer responsibility for out-of-hours services to primary care trusts (PCTs). From April 1 2013 this will be dealth with by NHS Commissioning Board Area Teams.

NHS Commissioning Board Area Teams are responsible for providing a high-quality service for the local population. Some NHS Commissioning Board Area Teams provide care themselves. Others provide care through external organisations. This means different areas can have slightly different services.

Types of out-of-hours care

Out-of-hours cover may include some or all of the services below:

GPs working in A&E departments or minor injuries units (MIUs)
teams of healthcare professionals working in primary care centres, A&E departments, MIUs or NHS walk-in centres
healthcare professionals (other than doctors) making home visits, following a detailed clinical assessment
ambulance services moving patients to places where they can be seen by a doctor or nurse, to reduce the need for home visits

You can also visit an NHS walk-in centre (WiC) or Minor injuries units(MIUs). These can provide treatment for minor injuries or illnesses such as cuts, bruises and rashes. They have proved to be a successful complementary service to traditional GP and A&E services. Some NHS WiCs offer access to doctors as well as nurses. However, they are not designed for treating long-term conditions or immediately life-threatening problems. You don't need to be registered and you don't need an appointment. Any member of the public can simply walk in to be seen regardless of where they are registered. Some offer pre-booked appointments.

Comments

7 Comments about ‘Out-of-hours services’

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Comments are personal views. Any information they give has not been checked and may not be accurate.

phil gleeson said on 29 April 2013

My mother was taken ill at 5.30pm on saturday 27th April 2013 and my wife rang 111. the people gave good advice and i think they may hav diagnosed pretty well ok.

My complaint is that we were told they only had one doctor on call, knowing that "the service would be busy as its a weekend", their words not mine.

The doctor arrived at 5.20am on sunday 28th April 2013. Twelve hours after the original call, they even claimed my wife never rang until 7.00pm which is untrue but theysaid their system was down s oit couldnt be booked in until the system was back up, fair enough.

My mother is no spring chicken and has health problems above and beyond this episode. My father is unable to look after himself at all meaning my mother is his carer. as a family we do our best and visit and goround whenever called, this does not mean the NHS can assume people will be alright because family members are onsite, what would have happened if she had a heart attack, she has had similar before.

'You have the right to be treated
with dignity and respect, in
accordance with your human rights'

Do you think being left for 12 hours not knowing where you are or in distress is being respectful of dignified, becaue I do not.

yet another unhappy customer said on 23 April 2013

Me and my partner are currently on holiday in Anglesey over 3 hours away from our home. He complained he wasn't feeling well so he phoned the OOH service to be told to 'go home' in a rude and patronizing tone and see his own GP. What is the point of this service if you cannot be seen by a doctor when you need to?! We could of wasted the precious time of the staff in an A&E department but thought the OOH would of been of better assistance.... how wrong was I?! I must add though the service both me and my partner have received previously in different OOH was more pleasant.

brcoope said on 14 April 2013

I write this as my father lives out his last few hours in our local nursing home. The onshift matron has called 111 five times to request that a doctor visits to see if he needs any medication administering during the time he has left and we are still waiting for someone to vist the nursing home - this is shameful and shambolic and the matron cannot believe the degradation in service since 111 began.

Bloody ironic really, given that my dad was on the board of the old Brighton Hospital's Board back in the 60s and 70s, trying to make the provision of health care to all as he best as he could.

brcoope said on 14 April 2013

narwhal said on 13 April 2013

There is no out of hours service in East Sussex!The NHS 111 number just rings, repeats a useless message and cuts off. Totally unable to contact a doctor; local hospital now has no beds and cannot cope with the influx into A&E of all those who can't contact a doctor. What are GPs playing at? How can they be allowed to opt out when there is no other service provision? GPs are paid large salaries for doing less and less. What happened to SUSDOC, SEADOC and the rest? Who is responsible for allowing GPs to abandon patients? As if patients have any control over how and when they fall ill.All GPs should be legally obliged to provide out of hours cover on a rota basis as part of their NHS contracts.

Sdfggh said on 02 March 2013

I defy anyone to try and follow this page to find out how to access an out-of-hours GP service in East Sussex

Miranda Escobedo said on 29 July 2012

Thank goodness for the GP out of hours service! My local practice, like many in my area of East London (as I note from comments elsewhere on this site) offers a pretty poor service from the reception staff, especially re phone calls (answering the phone, dealing consistently with queries, recording what was discussed in phone calls etc). After 5 days without blood pressure medication -- as conveyed to the reception staff -- I was miraculously transferred to the out of hours service when I attempted to ring the surgery at the start of their normal Saturday session. Who knows why? but I was very grateful as I got a month's prescription without any problems (after giving the relevant information re dosage). Had to go to the hospital to get it but, honestly, after all the endless hassle with my own surgery, I didn't mind.