Many Wishaw GP practices will open on Saturdays over the next few weeks.
Some practices will also open on Thursday, January 2, which is a public holiday.
Surgeries opening tomorrow are Manse Road Medical Centre, Willow Wood Medical Practice, Logan Practice, Branchalwood Medical and Calder Valley Surgery.
Opening hours will vary and these will be publicised at your local surgery and on the winter health section of the NHS Lanarkshire public website at https://www.nhslanarkshire.scot.nhs.uk/your-health/winter-health/
All GP practices will be open as normal on Friday, January 3.
Craig Cunningham, Lanarkshire winter planning lead for health and social care, said: “The additional GP opening hours will help ensure that anyone registered with a participating practice will be able to contact the practice during those times if they need to speak to a member of the primary care team or see a GP urgently.
“This is the sixth year that a number of Lanarkshire GPs and their staff have gone the extra mile to provide this festive service to patients.”
NHS Lanarkshire has put the initiative in place with the support of Health and Social Care North Lanarkshire and South Lanarkshire Health and Social Care Partnership.
Craig added: “Other patients who require an urgent appointment and can’t wait until their own GP practice is open should call NHS 24 on 111 for appropriate advice and access to support from the out-of-hours service.
“Community pharmacies can also provide advice and treatment for many conditions, avoiding the need to see a GP or attending hospital emergency departments which are always very busy at this time of year and should only ever be accessed for emergency conditions.”
The festive opening arrangements for GPs and pharmacies are part of NHS Lanarkshire’s comprehensive plan to cope with winter – the health service’s busiest time of year.
