Exposed by Mail, GPs’ 3-hour lunch breaks

THIS week, an investigation by the Daily Mail exposed how thousands of GP practices were shutting their doors on weekday afternoons and taking extended lunch breaks – leaving patients with no option but to attend A&E units.

The Avenue Surgery in Brighton was one of 15 surgeries across the country which featured in Thursday’s paper.

Some of the surgeries, in locations from Newcastle to Plymouth, closed every Wednesday afternoon, while others shut for hours each lunch time.

The Avenue Surgery closes every weekday between 12pm and 3pm and is closed completely at the weekend. Additionally, while the surgery lists its morning hours as 8.30am to 12pm, doctors’ surgery times end at 11am. And though the surgery closes at 6.30pm, doctors can only be seen until 6pm. It does claim to be open for appointments on alternate Saturdays from 8am to 11am, and until 7.30pm on Mondays and Tuesdays.

The nearest A&E unit is two miles away. Chareen Edwards, 26, who has three chil- dren under five, said she was unable to register at the surgery.

‘If there is anything badly wrong with the kids I have to take them to the hospital and sit in A&E which is totally wrong,’ she said.

‘I’m furious about it and I’ve complained to anyone who will listen but they don’t pay any attention.’

Darren Reade added that it was becoming almost impossible to get an appointment.

‘I tried recently because I had an infected foot ... and was told I could have one in two weeks,’ he said. ‘In the end I had to go to the Royal Sussex and wait for a doctor to see it and give me antibiotics.’

No one at the surgery was available for comment yesterday afternoon.

THE DOCTOR WON’T SEE YOU NOW From Thursday’s Mail