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Extended hours

A Directed Enhanced Service introduced in 2008 to encouarge practice to open longer in evenings and weekends. PCTs were required to offer the service to all GMS and PMS practices in their area not already providing extended opening hours. Practices are rewarded for providing around 3 hours extra appointment time per average practice a week, at times that suit the needs of their patients.

Payment per registered patient was cut from £3.01 to £1.90 in March 2011 but a number of flexibilities were introduced, to allow extended opening hours appointments to be offered by any healthcare professional, rather than GPs only, concurrent working during extended opening hours, urgent as well as routine care patients to be seen and the minimum continuous period of extended opening was reduced from one and a half hours to 30 minutes.