A NEW healthcare clinic opening in Colchester promises to give residents an “easier way to access GP appointments” but patients will have to pay for it.
Private GP Services, based on the new Chesterwell Plaza development in Leda Way, will welcome its very first patients from next Monday.
The clinic, which has free customer parking, will offer a wide availability of time slots, including on evenings and weekends.
Expanding on its existing practice inside the Oaks Hospital, the surgery will feature three consulting rooms, a large waiting area and modern facilities.
According to bosses, face-to-face appointments will be provided for a variety of primary care services such as screenings, medicals, vaccinations, and sexual health.
Unlike at NHS surgeries, however, patients looking to acquire the services of the site’s medics will have to put their hands into their pockets.
For a 15-minute standard consultation, for example, the cost is £90, while a 30-minute session with a doctor will set residents back £165.
Acute care for poorly children, meanwhile, lasting just 15 minutes, is priced at £90 and a six-week mother and baby check-up is £210.
Blood tests checking for the likes of HIV, Hep B, Hep C and Syphilis, on the other hand, come in at £190, and a telephone consultation is £40.
Dr Sibel Peck, partner and director for Private GP Services, said: “This way, we can offer more patients an alternative and easier way to access GP appointments.
“We offer longer appointment times and pride ourselves on delivering excellent, accessible patient care with quick access to tests and diagnosis.”
The opening of the new practice comes after figures released back in June of this year laid bare the pressures faced by GPs in north east Essex.
According to data released by the Nuffield Trust, the number of patients per in the area was 2,265 – which was one of the highest figures in England.
As a result, many residents can often find themselves struggling to get an appointment, sometimes having to wait weeks on end before seeing a GP.
Dr Peck, who has over 30 years of experience, added: “It is becoming increasingly difficult for patients to access appointments when they need it.
“We’re busier than ever with growing demand for our services, so it was the right time to invest in new clinics with additional clinicians.”
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