GP surgeries close for five hours for training

All GP appointments will be suspended for five hours on 27 April

No routine appointments with doctors will be available for a five-hour period to allow for "essential training" of staff, Manx Care has said.

All of the island's GP surgeries will be closed between 13:00 and 18:00 BST on Thursday.

The out-of-hours Manx Emergency Doctor Service (MEDS) will be operating during the period to provide telephone consultations for urgent cases.

However, people have been encouraged to use other health care services available where appropriate.

A spokeswoman for Manx Care said the closure was necessary so that all clinical and administrative staff could receive “the essential training and development they need to deliver the best possible service and to remain fully trained and up to date with skills”.

'Choose well'

Other medical services available during the period of closure include the Minor Injuries and Illnesses Unit at Ramsey Cottage Hospital, the Minor Ailments Scheme operated by community pharmacies on island, and the Minor Eye Conditions Scheme operated by Specsavers.

The health care provider said people were being urged to “choose well” when it came to seeking appropriate medical treatment and advice, however anyone who felt they had a life-threatening emergency should still “phone 999 and ask for the ambulance service”.

All GP surgeries are expected to open as normal on 28 April.