Evening Surgeries Posted or Updated on 11 Apr 2024

Good morning,

A few things to update you all with, as we all move fast to adapt to this new way of life and work.

Firstly, thank you all for the support you have shown us as we have changed the way we care for you. We have been working hard behind the scenes to ensure we continue to be as easy to reach as possible in these challenging times. Telephone and video consulting, and text messages, are now up and running.

A quick reminder that as social distancing becomes the norm, we would politely ask that you try to only come into the surgery when you have been given an appointment, or when you are collecting medication. Any queries that CAN come to us by phone, should. Please use the letterbox or outside prescription boxes to drop prescriptions off. When inside the building, please keep 2 metres away from each other in the waiting room, and stay behind the lines marking 2 metres from reception. Thank you.

We have been asked to concentrate on IN HOURS access rather than extended access. This reflects changes in school and work habits and changes to local out of hours services. It also allows us to staff buildings more safely during a period with increased work absences.

As such, from next week we will be stopping our Monday and Thursday evening surgeries and will instead offer this appointment capacity in the afternoons. This means Masham will now be OPEN on a Thursday afternoon from April 2nd.

The local CCG are working hard to hugely increase out of hours and 111 capacity and will draw on local GPs to staff this when they are not in their practices. These changes to extended hours are temporary during the pandemic and will be kept under frequent review.

Thank you once again for your support - and for staying home!

Drs Akester, Roberts, Gardner, Wright & Freer.