Patients at Audley Mills Surgery in Rayleigh, Essex, can now see a doctor as early as 7:00 am on weekdays for pre-booked appointments to help those with busy work lives. These extra slots are part of a wider plan to offer more flexible care, including evening appointments and alternating Saturday clinics for residents who cannot visit during normal working hours.
The surgery, at 57 Eastwood Road, stays open until 8:00 pm on Mondays and Thursdays for people with pre-booked appointments. On alternate Saturdays, clinics run from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm; these weekend sessions rotate between Audley Mills and the Jones Family Practice in nearby Hockley.
While doctors begin seeing patients at 7:00 am, the reception desk does not open until 8:00 am, and the practice notes that its telephone system closes at 18:30. That means patients arriving for early appointments cannot access reception services until 8:00 am and may be unable to contact the surgery by phone during the 7:00–8:00 am window.
According to the Rayleigh & District Primary Care Network, patients should book these extended-access appointments in advance via the practice website or the practice’s online consult (AccuRx), or by calling the surgery during its telephone operating hours (telephone lines close at 18:30). The practice and PCN guidance make clear Saturday and early/late slots are pre-booked appointments only.
The Care Quality Commission regulates and monitors GP services such as Audley Mills to ensure they meet standards for the community. Residents are reminded that these early and late slots are for pre-booked appointments and not for walk-in emergencies; urgent care outside normal hours is provided by the out-of-hours service after 18:30.
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