The GP Out-of-Hours Service is for anyone who requires medical advice and treatment when the practice is closed 
(evenings, weekends and bank holidays). The service provides urgent and immediately necessary advice and treatment from a GP or nurse practitioner to people who are unable to wait until the next day to see a GP. It is not an alternative to seeing your own GP during surgery hours.
The service is accessed via a dedicated telephone number: 111
- This telephone number is answered on behalf of the Out of Hours Service by a dedicated team.
- They will ask some questions to assess the urgency of the call. You may be passed to a nurse for further assessment and advice.
- If your call cannot be resolved by the nurse, your details will be sent electronically to East Lancashire Medical Services who will arrange for you to speak to or see a doctor.
- Appointments are given based on the medical urgency of your call.
- Not every caller needs to see a doctor, just as you don’t always see the doctor at your GP practice.
The service operates from 2 main locations:
- The Primary Care Centre on the Royal Hospital site and St Peter’s Centre at Burnley on an appointment basis.
- Satellite Centres are open at peak times in Hyndburn and Ribble Valley, Pendle and Rossendale.
Nurse Advice and Health Information Service
Patients are reminded that if they urgently need medical help or advice but it is not a life-threatening situation they can access a 24 hours Nurse Advice and Health Information Service by telephoning NHS 111.
Out-of-hours services are generally busy so please think carefully before asking to see a doctor and only do so if you genuinely cannot wait until the surgery re-opens.
