The LMC is pleased to offer the sub-contracting arrangement for Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve, 16.00–18.30, which has been facilitated by the LMC in collaboration with DHU again this year.
The LMC anticipates that practices will by now have notified the ICB accordingly and kindly ask that the following requirements are completed to ensure full compliance with the arrangements.
Patient Communications
Please ensure that patients are made aware of the sub-contracted service in advance by actively and prominently displaying notices both inside and outside the premises, and by using appropriate communication channels.
Your practice should notify patients through the following (please adapt according to the channels your practice will use):
- Practice website
- Posters in waiting areas and on external windows/notice boards
- Facebook and other social media platforms
- Electronic message to all patients
Patients may attend one of the following locations (please select the site closest to your practice):
- Merlyn Vaz Health Centre, 1 Spinney Hill Rd, Leicester, LE5 3GH
- Oadby Urgent Treatment Centre, 18 The Parade, Leicester, LE2 5BJ
- Loughborough Urgent Treatment Centre, Loughborough Hospital Way, Loughborough, LE11 5JY
Practice Phone Lines During Commissioned Service
DHU has been commissioned to manage and triage practice telephone calls during the sub-contracted period.
Please ensure your telephone lines are redirected to DHU from 16:00 to 18:30 using 0300 323 0671, and that the call diversion is reset to your normal practice message/diversion at 18:30.
Online Platform
Between 16:00 and 18:30, practices should keep online access open for non-urgent electronic requests via the NHS App or the practice website. These requests should be responded to on the next working day.
Additional Guidance
The following suggestions may support smooth running of services over the holiday period and help reduce pressures on your practice when open:
- In an emergency, patients should call 111 or 999.
- Ensure arrangements are in place for timely ordering and collection of repeat prescriptions to avoid requests during practice closures.
- Consider extending repeat prescriptions so they do not fall due between 24th December and 2nd January.
- Ensure patients on opiate substitution prescriptions have sufficient medication to cover practice closure periods.
- Answerphone messages should be updated at 6.30pm on 24th and 31st December 2025 for the duration of the Bank Holidays.
- Minimise or avoid pre-booking advance appointments, especially for non-essential services, from 24th December to 2nd January.
- Minimise or avoid routine, non-urgent consultations during this period.
- For urgent lab tests, ensure clinical details and patient telephone numbers are clearly noted on request forms.
- Send special notes to the out-of-hours organisation for vulnerable patients, including those lacking mental capacity, those with complex or terminal conditions, or where special arrangements apply (e.g. GP to be notified if the patient dies during the out-of-hours period).
- Ensure residential and nursing home patients have repeat prescriptions arranged, are aware of opening times, and that any unwell patients have been reviewed prior to closure.