The NHS in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland is making improvements to same-day GP appointments, available during evenings, weekends and bank holidays across Leicestershire (which covers the district council areas of Blaby, Charnwood, Harborough, Hinckley and Bosworth, Melton, North West Leicestershire, and Oadby and Wigston).
The improvements are part of a wider range of care options that make it easier for you to get help quickly for urgent, but not life-threatening health problems.
We are inviting you to share your views to help improve the appointments further.
How it worked previously
Before 1 April 2026, if you had an urgent health need and you contacted your GP practice later in the day, or NHS 111 in the evening or at weekends, you may have been booked into an appointment at an urgent care centre at one of the following locations:
| Previous locations | Previous opening times |
| Enderby Leisure Centre | Weekdays 6.30pm to 10pm
Weekends and bank holidays 8am to 8pm |
| Feilding Palmer Hospital | Weekends 9am to 7pm |
| St Luke’s Treatment Centre | Weekdays 6.30pm to 9pm
Weekends and bank holidays 9am to 7pm |
| Hinckley and Bosworth Community Hospital | Weekdays 7pm to 10pm
Weekends and bank holidays 8am to 8pm |
| Melton Mowbray Hospital | Weekdays 6.30pm to 9pm
Weekends and bank holidays 9am to 7pm |
| Coalville Community Hospital | Saturdays 9am to 12pm |
These were sometimes known as ‘extended access’ appointments and took place in urgent care centres.
You may also have walked in to use the Enderby, Market Harborough, Lutterworth and Melton services without an appointment.
What has improved
Since 1 April 2026, same‑day GP appointments have been provided through a new model with different opening hours and a mix of existing and new locations.
The main benefits of this new model are:
More locations across Leicestershire
We have increased the number of locations across Leicestershire where same-day GP appointments are available during evenings, weekends and bank holidays.
The opening times are now consistent, with appointments available at the following times: - Monday to Friday: 6.30pm to 8.30pm
- Saturdays: 9am to 5pm
- Sundays and bank holidays: 10am to 2pm.
| New locations | Appointment availability |
| Warren Lane Surgery, Leicester Forest East | 7 days a week |
| Charnwood Surgery, Mountsorrel | 7 days a week |
| Feilding Palmer Hospital, Lutterworth | Weekends only |
| St Luke’s Treatment Centre, Market Harborough | 7 days a week |
| The Centre Surgery, Hinckley | 7 days a week |
| Melton Hospital, Melton Mowbray | 7 days a week |
| Castle Medical Group, Ashby & Long Lane Surgery, Coalville – alternating weeks | 7 days a week |
Oadby Urgent Treatment Centre, Oadby
Appointment‑only slots delivered at the same premises as the Urgent Treatment Centre (UTC), in addition to normal UTC services | 7 days a week |
These appointments replace those previously provided during evenings, weekends and bank holidays in Coalville, Enderby, Hinckley, Market Harborough, Lutterworth and Melton - sometimes known as ‘extended access appointments’ or urgent care centres.
All appointments booked by NHS 111 and GP practices
This is now an appointment-only service, with appointments booked by NHS 111. A small number of appointments can also be booked by GP practices.
You don’t need to do anything differently and should use your GP practice and NHS 111 as normal.
You cannot specifically request one of the new appointments. You may be booked into one of them when you contact NHS 111 or your GP practice if urgent same-day care is needed. GP practices only have access to a small number of the total appointments available.
When you contact your NHS 111 or your GP practice, they will ask about your symptoms so they can book the most appropriate same‑day appointment for you. This reduces the number of places you need to contact and avoids unnecessary waits or trips to services that may not be suitable.
This approach helps ensure resources are used in the best way for everyone in Leicester, Leicestershireand Rutland. It also supports the NHS aim of matching each patient to the right level of care, from the right health professional, in the right part of the NHS, first time - known as Right Care, Right Place.
Patients will still be able to walk in at: - Loughborough Urgent Treatment Cente
- Merlyn Vaz Urgent Treatment Centre
- Melton Minor Injury Unit
- Oadby Urgent Treatment Centre
- Market Harborough Minor Injury Unit
Other improvements
- Appointments are now 15 minutes long, five minutes longer than they were previously, so people can get the care they need in one visit.
- All appointments are now with a GP, rather than a mix of different professionals.
- More general practice appointments are now available during evenings, weekends and bank holidays.
- There is now a broader variety of appointments across pharmacies, GP surgeries and health centres, with the number of Pharmacy First appointment slots increasing to 210,000 a year across Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland.
Why improvements were needed
Same-day services have developed over time and now vary across Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland. There were different names, opening times and referral processes, making it hard for patients to understand what’s available and when to use each service. In some cases, appointments were going unused or were not in the most appropriate setting for a person’s needs. For example, some conditions seen in the old urgent care centres could have been better treated by a pharmacy, an urgent treatment centre, or through routine GP care.
We also now have new services, such as Pharmacy First, which allows people to get treatment and certain prescriptions directly from their local pharmacy, often without needing to see a GP. Accessing Pharmacy First can be arranged by a GP practice, by NHS 111, or by walking into a pharmacy.
How the new appointments work alongside other same day services
Improvements to same‑day appointments in Leicestershire fit within our consistent two‑step approach to getting people the right care, first time:
Step 1: Self Care
Use the NHS App, NHS 111 online or a community pharmacy.
Step 2: Contact your GP practice or NHS 111
If symptoms worsen or self‑care is not appropriate.
People who need to be seen on the same day may be offered an appointment at: - Their own GP practice
- A pharmacy under the Pharmacy First scheme
- An Urgent Treatment Centre
- A new same‑day GP appointment during evenings, weekends and bank holidays.
Have your say
We’d now like to hear your thoughts on the new same-day appointments. Your feedback is important in helping us understand what’s working well and what could be improved. Your views will play a key role in shaping any future changes to the service.
This questionnaire takes around 10 minutes and is open to anyone aged 16 or over.
The deadline to complete this questionnaire is Sunday 14 June 2026.
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