In 2007 a group of residents in Middleton Manchester had difficulty accessing routine healthcare due to daytime commitments. In a bid to provide convenient routine appointments, PriMed Services approached Sainsbury's Superstore to explore the possibility of utilising the existing pharmacy consultation room to undertake routine GP consultations. The business model was accepted by Sainsbury's resulting in a tender to deliver a service in the evenings and weekends commissioned by NHS Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale.

Providing additional capacity to existing local GP practices and complimenting the services available, PriMed Services was able to open the doors to the first clinic at Sainsbury's Heaton Park Manchester under the trade name 'Doctors InStore' on the 3rd March 2008. In the first 12 months, Doctors InStore undertook in excess of 1300 consultations with a high satisfaction rate amongst patients. The IT solution utilised allowed access to the patients full medical records with the ability to directly document the consultations into the patient medical records held by the host GP. Direct access to the full medical records also allowed reviews of past medical consultations, issuing of repeat medication and the ability to arrange investigations and referrals to other services when appropriate. The adjacent Sainsbury's Pharmacy was open throughout the period that Doctors InStore undertook consultations providing patients the option to dispense their prescriptions.

'The Doctors In Store pilot is very innovative and it is fantastic that we have the backing of such a reputable organisation such as Sainsbury's'.

John Pierce, Chairman of NHS Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale.

'We know how important it is to make health services more convenient for people, especially for prevention of poor health as well as for treatment and for care'.

Dr Ruth Hussey, Regional Director for Public Health at NHS North West.

Get a check-up at the checkout outside office hours!

Services

All consultations are undertaken in a confidential, private consultation room within the pharmacy department.

Doctors In Store can be accessed by a patient whose registered GP practice has signed up with the Doctors In Store service at Sainsbury's.

The way to book an appointment is as follows:-

1. Patient telephones own GP practice 
2. Requests an appointment for an evening or weekend surgery
3. Receptionists at the medical practice will access an on line booking diary to arrange a convenient appointment  (The appointment can be booked up to 2 weeks in advance)
4. The patient attends Sainsbury's at the date and time of the appointment

(To access this service the patient must provide the clinician at Sainsbury's consent to access their full medical records to undertake an informed consultation)

Times of Opening

Monday Evening        6.30pm -  9.00pm

Wednesday Evening  6.30pm -  9.00pm

Thursday Evening      6.30pm -  9.00pm

Saturday                    9.30am - 12.00pm

Practices Registered with the Scheme

• Dr Anglin, The Family Practice, Bowness Rd, Middleton
• Dr Thompson and Dr Stockton Boarshaw, Clough Street, Middleton
• Peterloo Medical Centre, Manchester Old Rd, Middleton
• Windermere Road Surgery, Middleton

Location

170 Heaton Park Road West,
Higher Blackley,
Manchester,
M9 0QS

Tel: 0161 740 5738