IMPORTANT
NOTICE
SATURDAY MORNINGS - CHANGED ARRANGEMENTS
FROM 1st APRIL 2004
As part of the Government's reforms to recruit
and retain GPs for the NHS, a new GP Contract
comes into force on the 1st April 2004.
One of the changes that is aimed at encouraging
young doctors to work in general practice
and older doctors to stay is a change to
surgery opening hours to limit the normal
working week to Monday to Friday. Saturday
mornings will become part of the out-of-hours
emergency service. This is already the case
for most GPs who work in the cities, and
so in order to allow rural areas to compete
for doctors on an equal footing we are joining
with other practices in the area to extend
the rota for emergency cover to include
Saturday mornings.
Therefore, we expect from 1st April the surgery
will be closed from 6.00pm on Friday to 8.00am
on Monday. If you think you need urgent advice
during that period, NHS Direct may be able to
help on 08454647, but if you are sure that you
need medical advice from a doctor about something
that cannot wait until normal working hours, please
ring 01903 843400 just as you do now during the
out-of-hours emergency period. Your call will
be taken by West Sussex Doctors on Call who will
arrange for a doctor to ring you back and advise
how the problem should be dealt with.
The Partners, Steyning Health
Centre
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