SEVEN medical practices in East Lancashire are set to continue to offer extended access to patients until September.

Proposals to offer increased availability at surgeries are being rolled out across Burnley, Hyndburn, Pendle, Rossendale and Ribble Valley.

This is starting in Hyndburn but East Lancs Clinical Commissioning Group’s primary care committee has been told the process has taken longer than expected.

Thursby and Ightenhill surgeries in Burnley, Blackburn Road, Abbey and King Street in Accrington, Higher Heys in Oswaldtwistle and Dill Hall at Church are involved in offering various evening and weekend appointments.

Lisa Cunliffe, primary care development manager, told the CCG committee in a report the cost of the enhanced service, to September 30, will be £15,000.

Under the initiative, which originally began in late 2014 as part of winter pressure measures, an extra 859 appointments per month are on offer for a registered patient population of 21,909.