HEALTH bosses have agreed to extend GP opening hours and make it easier to get same day appointments as part of a shake-up in how urgent care is provided across parts of County Durham.

NHS Durham Dales, Easington and Sedgefield Clinical Commissioning Group (DDES CCG), has agreed a new approach to providing urgent care as part of a review into services.

Urgent care centres, which are staffed by GPs, in Bishop Auckland and Peterlee will no longer provide services during the day but will still cover out-of-hours appointments, while nurse-led minor injury units will still open for 24 hours a day.

Instead the CCG is promoting a “GP first” approach, encouraging people to go to their local doctors first unless they have a life-threatening health condition.

Earlier this year the health body had a consultation asking for people’s views on urgent care services.

It has now agreed to take forward the most popular option – the first choice of 80 per cent of the 2,771 people who took part.

Extended GP cover during weekday evenings and at the weekend will be provided by nine “hubs” across the area.

Practices in Sedgefield and the Durham Dales areas will provide more same day urgent appointments during the week. This will be provided by the GP hubs in the Easington area.

In response to concerns raised during the consultation about problems in getting GP appointments, CCG director of commissioning Sarah Burn said surgeries will be asked to share best practice, with ones struggling to meet patient demand to come up with improvement action plans.

GP Janet Walker, chair of the South Tees CCG, said: “As an independent GP I’m glad to say if I was a patient living here I would feel assured that I would get the service I want, when I want it and there are people there to deliver services.”

The changes are expected to save between five and 15 per cent on current urgent care costs.

Ms Burn said: “We think our new model will deliver better clinical outcomes but we have been honest that we need to make financial savings.”