DIFFERENCES in extended hours across GP practices leave a ‘lottery’ with some people unable to see their doctor for up to six days, writes Hollie McDevitt.

Healthwatch Reading, a patients’ rights group, found a huge variation in the extra hours surgeries offer for appointments with some only able to see a GP on Saturday if they cannot take time off work.

Healthwatch Reading’s chief executive Mandeep Kaur Sira said “Our project shows how much Reading people value a local GP service from doctors who they know and trust.

“However, Reading people face a lottery on what kind of appointment slots might be available to fit in with busy lives or commitments, whether early morning, late evening or Saturdays.

“We believe this inequity has to end, especially given the high numbers of people in work in Reading, who would benefit from more convenient appointment times.”

Healthwatch Reading surveyed 595 people during visits to 31 surgeries across the borough from April last year to March this year.

One patient said: “My partner works in London so struggles to make it back in time for an appointment. It would be nice if one evening they opened late.”

The survey found five surgeries did not open on Saturdays including three with fewer than 3,000 registered people but two with more than 7,000.

They found seven surgeries offer two days of late evening appointments each week while 14 offer one evening a week. Other surgeries offer selected bookable early morning appointments during the week.

The only surgery open on a Sunday is the Reading Walk-in centre.

The survey also found most people booked their appointments on the phone instead of online.

NHS officials told the patients’ lobbying group they would draw up an action plan to increase online appointment booking and ask smaller surgeries to work together to offer extended hours.