A NEW scheme offering patients GP appointments seven days a week in Oxford has been delayed.

Last month three federations of GP practices across Oxfordshire, including one in Abingdon, agreed to launch the new service, with additional hours on weekday evenings, and a surgeries on Sunday from 8am to 11am.

But OxFed, featuring all GP practices across Oxford, has not yet launched its new service.

It was due to start today but it is now expected to be launched by end of the month.

Louise Bradbury, director of health and care services at OxFed, said: “We are very excited about the proposed new service which will offer a total of 106 hours per week of additional pre-bookable evening and weekend appointments.

“OxFed represents all of the GP practices in Oxford city covering a population of 210,000 people.

“We are currently in the process of installing the IT infrastructure required to operate appointment systems and maintain a single electronic patient record.”

Until the new service is launched, an interim service will offer additional routine, pre-bookable GP appointments at East Oxford Health Centre on Manzil Way from mid-March.