GP Out of Hours

GP Out-of-Hours (OOH) Service

Urgent GP help when your usual GP practice is closed

About Our Service

The CCICP GP Out‑of‑Hours Service gives urgent medical advice, assessment and treatment when your GP practice is closed and your health problem cannot wait until it reopens.

We are open on:

• Evenings
• Overnight
• Weekends
• Bank Holidays

Our centres are at:

• Leighton Hospital, Crewe – open 24 hours
• Victoria Infirmary, Northwich – open until 10pm

How to Access the Service

Call NHS 111 by dialling 111.

• A trained call handler will ask you about your symptoms.
• They will direct you to the most suitable service or arrange for you to be called back by one of our clinicians within a time suited to how urgent your problem is.

What We Offer

✔ Assessment and treatment by a Nurse, GP or Advanced Clinical Practitioner
✔ Clear advice, reassurance and self‑care guidance
✔ Safe referral to other services, including emergency services if needed
✔ Face‑to‑face appointments when necessary
✔ Home visits for patients who cannot attend because of their health
✔ Advice on when to call back with new symptoms that may need further assessment

Many problems can be safely managed with telephone advice.
A face‑to‑face appointment is only offered when it is the best option for your care.

What We Do NOT Offer

To avoid confusion and disappointment, our service is for urgent, time‑sensitive health problems.
Other issues will be redirected to your usual GP practice.

GP Out‑of‑Hours service cannot provide:

❌ Tests or investigations

• Blood tests
• X‑rays or scans
• Routine heart tracings (ECGs)

❌ Referral to a Specialist

• Outpatient referrals
• Two‑week‑wait (urgent cancer) referrals
• Physiotherapy or other planned services

❌ Routine GP services

• Repeat prescriptions
• Long‑term condition reviews
• Routine GP appointments
• Fit notes (except when given during a face‑to‑face appointment)

Home Visits

Home visits are offered only when a patient cannot safely travel to a centre.

We may visit if you are:

• Clinically housebound
• Receiving palliative or end‑of‑life care
• Living in a care home
• At risk of harm or becoming more unwell from travelling

We do not offer home visits based on preference or convenience.

⏱ Appointment Times

Demand for urgent care changes throughout the day.
Because of this appointment times may not always run exactly to schedule.

We always see patients based on clinical urgency and we appreciate your patience.

💬 We Value Your Feedback

Your feedback helps us improve the service.

You can leave feedback via the Friends and Family Test here.  If you would like to more about the Friends and Family Test and how your feedback is shared click here.