Weekend GP Support: Assessment and Emergency Escalation
Understand additional remote GP access during agreed hours, alongside existing urgent and emergency pathways.
Weekend GP support provides an additional route to clinical advice during the hours agreed with a care home. Its purpose is to support appropriate decisions about a resident’s care, rather than to meet a target for fewer 999 calls or hospital transfers.
Use emergency pathways when needed
RTCGP is not an emergency service. For a life-threatening emergency, call 999. Do not delay urgent or emergency care while waiting for an RTCGP response. Follow your home’s existing escalation procedures.
What happens during agreed service hours
The care team uses the designated clinical contact route to request a remote consultation. Following assessment, the GP advises on appropriate next steps, which may include monitoring, treatment or further assessment.
Understand what is not guaranteed
RTCGP does not promise immediate access, an in-person visit, medicine delivery, private transport or a reduction in hospital admissions. Availability and scope are confirmed for each home. Any privately arranged visit requires separate agreement and depends on clinical need, location and availability.
Prepare for an introductory discussion
Describe your existing out-of-hours arrangements.
Identify the support and hours your home would like to discuss.
Ask how documentation and handover would work.
Review a tailored proposal and onboarding requirements before the service begins.
Discuss additional GP access
RTCGP offers additional private GP access for care homes during agreed out-of-hours periods, alongside the resident’s usual GP and existing NHS services. Service hours, availability and scope are agreed with each home before the service begins.
The service is remote-first. Where an in-person assessment is needed, the appropriate route will be advised. Any privately arranged visit is subject to clinical need, location, availability and separate agreement.
A GP may prescribe following assessment where clinically appropriate and within the agreed clinical-provider arrangements. A consultation does not guarantee a prescription or immediate access to medicines.
RTCGP is not an emergency service. For a life-threatening emergency, call 999. Do not delay urgent or emergency care while waiting for an RTCGP response. Follow your home’s existing escalation procedures.
Book a care-home discussion to explore the support your home needs. This is a business introduction, not a medical consultation; do not submit identifiable resident information.
Contacts
+44 7551269003 director@rtcgp.co.uk
RTCGP
Additional private GP access for care homes during agreed out-of-hours periods, alongside existing NHS services.
Availability is confirmed for each home. RTCGP is not an emergency service.
