A NEW same-day GP appointment service in a Hampshire borough has been branded a success by health chiefs.

The new Fareham same-day GP appointment service which allows patients across the borough to get a GP appointment the same day has seen almost 1,000 patients during the five weeks of November, the equivalent to 200 a week.

In the same time period, the service took more than 800 calls per week from patients with 973 of those seen by a GP at Fareham Community Hospital, where the service is based.

The service, also known as the Fareham Primary Care Service involves four GP practices in the borough – Highlands Practice in Fareham, Jubilee Surgery in Titchfield, Stubbington Medical Practice, and Whiteley Surgery.

Currently, only patients registered at the four participating practices can get an appointment with the Fareham & Gosport Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) looking to expand to other practices in the borough if successful.

The service operates as a call back service so patients who want urgent same-day appointments have to phone their GP practice as normal and, if they agree to their details being shared with the same day service they will then be called back in order of clinical priority.

A nurse or GP will then have a detailed conversation with them - which may result in the patient being given advice over the phone or offered an appointment.

Titchfield GP Dr. Tom Bertram, the clinical lead for the project said: "We are delighted with the way service is proving so successful with the vast majority of patients who contact us, asking for same-day appointments.

"But - as we hoped – there are very encouraging signs that it is also helping to ease the pressure on routine non-emergency appointments at the participating GP practice."

Fareham MP Suella Fernandes said, who helped to set up the scheme through her Fareham Community Hospital Taskforce, said: "I am confident that given the demand for same-day and primary care services that the Fareham Primary Care Service will be a success and provide residents which much needed services."

It follows a similar scheme, launched at Gosport War Memorial Hospital in late 2015 which has received more than 90 per cent patient satisfaction levels after all 11 practices in the borough joined.