· Doctors and healthcare professionals will be working on Friday 10 & Monday 13 April
· Additional GP appointments will be available via NHS 111 on Saturday and Sunday
· Patients will continue to be assessed over the phone or online before booking a consultation
· Move comes as coronavirus infections place exceptional strain on whole NHS
Local GP surgeries are to remain open over the Easter Bank Holidays to help the NHS cope with the ongoing Coronavirus outbreak.
Patients will be able to access their GP practice, as usual, on both Good Friday and Easter Monday. The NHS 111 service will also offer a limited number of GP appointments on Saturday and Sunday.
The change to traditional Easter opening hours comes as GPs across the country move to help alleviate the growing pressures on out-of-hours services.
The NHS 111 service is expected to experience a growth in demand as the number of coronavirus infections rises over the coming weeks.
Dr James Hopkinson, a local GP and Clinical Leader of the NHS Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), said:
“GP practices across Nottingham and Nottinghamshire will remain available over both Bank Holidays to help ease some of the pressures on NHS111.“
“ The NHS is facing an exceptional challenge and all parts of the system are pulling together to ensure patients can continue to access the care and advice they need, while we respond to the virus outbreak.”
“People who are experiencing Coronavirus symptoms should seek help and advice using NHS111online services at: https://111.nhs.uk/covid-19 – and only call NHS111 if they cannot get help online”
All Nottingham and Nottinghamshire practices have now moved to total telephone triage, online consultations and in some cases video consultations, with patients being asked not to go into their GP surgery for any reason before speaking to their practice.
Dr Hopkinson added: “It remains vital, especially over the Easter period when we are predicting a potential rise in Coronavirus cases, that everyone continues to help stop the spread of this virus by following Government advice and staying at home – this will help to save lives and protect our NHS.”
For the latest on Coronavirus visit: www.nhs.uk/coronavirus or www.gov.uk/coronavirus
