Enhanced Access Service

Enhanced Access was rolled out as a national target for all primary care to improve access to General Practice routine appointments. Enhanced Access is a service for any patient registered with a GP in the Harrogate and Rural District Area (HaRD) and is an extension of their GP Surgery service.

The service offers pre-bookable, routine primary care appointments with a range of health care professionals such as GP’s, Nurses, Advanced Care Practitioner and Health Care Assistants. Appointments are available across Hub Enhanced Access sites from 4.00pm to 8.00pm on Mondays to Fridays and 8.30am to 1.00pm on Saturdays, Sundays and Bank Holidays.

Yorkshire Health Network has 3 Main Hubs:

• Harrogate: 5 Grove Park Court, Harrogate, HG1 4DP.
• Knaresborough: Beech House Surgery, 1 Ash Tree Road, HG5 0UB
• Ripon: Leon Smallwood Unit, Ripon Hospital, Firby Lane, HG4 2BE

All appointments must initially be booked with the patient’s registered GP Surgery. The patient will be asked to share their medical record with the health care professionals providing care in Enhanced Access. This is to ensure that the right treatment, medication and referral for further treatment, if required, is received. Follow up appointments within the extended access service can be made when attending Enhanced access, if required.

Patient Feedback Results

The Enhanced Access service employs local doctors and health professionals where possible, but also works with a number of regular clinicians who provide services. Patients may not be seen by their usual clinician or one they know in Enhanced Access, but all health care professionals work with Yorkshire Health Network to provide a high standard of care.

We find access to smear appointments, blood tests and medication review appointments popular for those unable to access care during the working day and in fact we were the first in the country to provide smears in Enhanced Access.