Winchester MP Steve Brine had a tour of a a new out of hours care hub, cutting the metaphorical ribbon on the new facility ahead of its opening on October 2.

The new Winchester primary care hub at Badger Farm Surgery will allow patients in Winchester, and surrounding villages to see a GP, Nurse, or Healthcare assistant from from 5-8pm on weekdays, 8am - 4pm on Saturdays and 8am -12noon on Sundays,

The new hub has been funded by NHS West Hampshire Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) and will be run by the local GP Federation, Mid Hampshire Healthcare and is the first in a series of hubs proposed for Hampshire with further centres scheduled to open in Eastleigh and Romsey in the near future, and add additional services such as physio therapy and mental health specialists, with plans to have hubs open nationwide by March 2019.

CCG Chief Officer, Heather Hauschild said: “We know it’s not always easy for people to get to see their GP during normal working hours, so this new service gives flexibility and allows people to see a GP at a time that is convenient to them.

“We hope these GP hubs will make patients’ lives easier and ensure that people receive the care they need at a time that suits them.”

Patients can book a routine appointment by ringing their own GP surgery. Urgent appointments at the hub will be booked by the out of hours GP service via NHS 111 when GP surgeries are closed.

All clinicians at the hubs will have full access to the patient’s electronic primary care records as long as the patient has given their consent when they book their appointment.

Dr Ben Inglis, Clinical Director at Mid Hampshire Healthcare added: “We are all really looking forward to providing this excellent new service for local people."

Steve Brine Said:"We have been clear we want to see 100% of the country being able to access GP appointments in evenings and at weekends by April 2019 so this new extended access hub is exactly the right prescription. Many congratulations to local GPs across the area who have come together to ensure appointments are there to meet local demand. This will be an important part of the local health economy and will rightly be welcomed by patients, GPs as well as those working in secondary care at our hospitals.

"Ultimately we just want the public to have choices"