Fylde coast GPs relaunch late opening services. Here's what you need to know

People living in Blackpool, Fylde and Wyre will soon be able to get GP practice appointments from 8am til late once again.
Watch more of our videos on Shots! 
and live on Freeview channel 276
Visit Shots! now

Before the Covid-19 pandemic, appointments with GPs, nurses and other healthcare professionals were available in the evenings and weekends at clinics across the Fylde coast.

Having been suspended during the pandemic, NHS Blackpool and NHS Fylde and Wyre Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) have worked with service providers Bloomfield Medical and Fylde Coast Medical Services to relaunch the service from Saturday (September 5).

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

To raise awareness of these services, the local NHS will bring back the ‘8 til L8’ campaign, which will be visible in a variety of public locations and on social media and websites.

The relaunched out-of-hours GP service begins on Saturday across the Fylde coastThe relaunched out-of-hours GP service begins on Saturday across the Fylde coast
The relaunched out-of-hours GP service begins on Saturday across the Fylde coast

Dr Neil Hartley-Smith, a Blackpool GP and clinical director for the CCGs, said: “One of the many difficult decisions we had to make in the early days of the pandemic was to suspend the evening and weekend appointments service.

“Following the launch of our 8 til L8 campaign we had started to see a rise in the number of appointments being booked and this was really encouraging.

“So we are delighted to be in a position to bring back these services to offer more flexibility for local people when booking their appointments with GP practices.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“But it’s not just for people to see a GP, there is a whole host of appointments available such as smear tests, blood tests, diabetes checks and more.”

Evening and weekend appointments are available after 6.30pm during the week and from 8am to 8pm at weekends at clinics in Blackpool, Fleetwood, Freckleton, Garstang and Preesall. Full details including opening times are available at https://www.fyldecoastccgs.nhs.uk/local-services/evening-and-weekend-appointments/

To book an appointment in the evening or at a weekend, contact your GP practice in the usual way. If your GP practice is closed, you can call 01253 952950 when the service is open.

What's open, where, and when

The evening and weekend appointments service is provided in Blackpool by Bloomfield Medical and in Fylde and Wyre by Fylde Coast Medical Services Ltd. It is based at:

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Whitegate Health Centre, Whitegate Drive, Blackpool, FY3 9ES. 6.30pm-8pm (Mon-Fri), 8am-8pm (Sat/Sun).

Fleetwood Health and Wellbeing Centre, Dock Street, FY7 6HP. 6.30pm-8pm (Mon-Fri), 8am-2pm (Sat/Sun).

Freckleton Health Centre, Douglas Drive, PR4 1RY. 6.30pm-8pm (Mon/Tue/Thurs), 8am-2pm (Sat/Sun).

Garstang Medical Practice, Kepple Lane, PR3 1PB. 8am-2.30pm on alternating Saturdays.

Over Wyre Medical Centre, Wilkinson Way, Preesall, FY6 0FA. 8am-2.30pm on alternating Saturdays.

Comment Guidelines

National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.