Choosing a GP surgery is a big decision one that shapes how quickly you get help, how easy it is to book, and how supported you feel in day-to-day health matters. If you live in or around Scunthorpe, Ancora Medical Practice stands out as a large, multi-site NHS GP service with modern access routes, extended opening, and a track record of quality care. Below is a comprehensive, human-friendly guide to how Ancora works right now—where it is, when it’s open, how to register, and the practical tips that really matter when you’re trying to get an appointment.
Where is Ancora Medical Practice and is it taking new patients?
Ancora operates from two surgeries in Scunthorpe:
-
Main site (Ashby Road): 291 Ashby Road, Scunthorpe, DN16 2AB. According to the NHS profile, this surgery is currently accepting new patients.
-
Branch site (Detuyll Street): 20 Detuyll Street, Scunthorpe, DN15 7LS. This is the sister site listed on NHS with its own page for contact details and hours.
Ancora’s Care Quality Commission (CQC) location page also confirms the Ashby Road address and provides the practice’s main telephone number (01724 842244) along with its overall rating of Good (the inspection summary is the latest posted by CQC for this location).
Opening hours (including Saturdays) and when phones/triage open
Good access starts with clear hours. Ancora publishes detailed, date-specific opening information and a helpful summary:
-
Ashby Road (main site): doors open 08:00–18:30 Monday to Friday, and Saturdays are open 08:00–14:00 for pre-booked appointments only.
-
Detuyll Street (branch): doors open 08:30–18:00 Monday to Friday.
-
Phones: lines are answered from 08:00.
-
Same-day triage: online triage opens at 07:30 on weekdays (bank holidays excluded).
-
Staff training: both sites close on the afternoon of the 2nd Wednesday of every month for training.
These details are taken from the practice’s Opening Hours page, last reviewed 23 October 2025.
When the surgeries are closed and it’s urgent but not life-threatening, use NHS 111 by phone or online; for emergencies, dial 999. The practice’s page links directly to NHS 111 and explains when to use it.
Appointments at Ancora: how booking actually works
Ancora offers a blend of pre-bookable, same-day, and telephone options. Practical points from the Appointments page:
-
GP appointment slots are 10 minutes.
-
A limited number of slots are pre-bookable up to 14 days in advance (with further slots 5 days in advance), while the remainder are released as same-day from 08:00.
-
Online triage is available during the day; several telephone triage appointments are bookable online and open at 17:30 for the following day.
-
Extended access (evenings/weekends) is available across North Lincolnshire settings—speak to reception to book.
-
Home visits are reserved for patients who are too ill or frail to attend; request by 11:00 where possible.
-
Interpreting can be arranged—ask reception when booking.
These rules and times are set out by the practice in its Appointments guidance.
Tip: If you can’t attend, cancel promptly (via phone, NHS App, or the online system) to free the slot—repeated DNA (Did Not Attend) can lead to removal from the list, per the practice’s policy.
Online triage, NHS App, and SystmOnline: getting help without hanging on the phone
Ancora has leaned into digital access:
-
Since 6 January 2025, the practice has been trialling an online triage for both medical and administrative queries. A clinician reviews medical requests and signposts you to the most appropriate service—which might be a GP, Practice Nurse, Nurse Associate, HCA, Social Prescriber, Pharmacy, Sexual Health, Physiotherapy, and more.
-
When capacity is reached, the triage form may temporarily close for that day; in that case, ring the surgery.
-
The form is accessible via the practice website, SystmOnline, or the NHS App (and should be used before contacting the surgery where available).
This process and start date are described on Ancora’s Contact/Online Triage notice.
Separately, the practice’s Online Services hub points you to prescriptions, appointments, and “Make an Appointment Online,” alongside useful admin links and policies.
Out-of-hours and weekend care: what are your options?
If you need guidance outside normal hours and it’s not an emergency, NHS 111 (online or by phone) will assess and direct you appropriately, sometimes to a Primary Care Centre for face-to-face care. Ancora’s Opening Hours page explains how this works and when to use it.
For evening and weekend GP appointments, North Lincolnshire offers Enhanced Acces.s Ancora patients can book into these slots at designated settings. Reception can arrange it; the scheme is part of a nationwide access initiative.
Quality, team structure, and what that means for patients
The CQC summarises Ancora Medical Practice with an overall rating of Good and describes a service designed for a large patient base, with multidisciplinary support and training commitments (Ancora is accredited as a training practice). While the inspection report’s overview is dated to the 2015 cycle, it details a multi-clinician team across both sites, with chronic disease clinics, annual reviews, home visits, and cross-agency working for complex needs. The page also reiterates extended hours options and proactive care for older patients and people with long-term conditions.
What does this mean day-to-day? Expect structured, guideline-led care, continuity (you can request a male or female GP when available), and coordinated support for long-term conditions—plus extra focus on vulnerable groups and mental health, per the inspection summary.
How to register with Ancora (and what to prepare)
The NHS surgery profile confirms Ancora is accepting new patients at Ashby Road. Registration typically involves:
-
completing a GMS1 form; 2) providing proof of identity/address (where applicable); and 3) sharing medication lists and prior history. The practice’s own site has a “New Patients” area in the menu; the NHS profile also has a dedicated “How to register” section for orientation. Start by checking eligibility via postcode and collect your documentation to speed things up.
If you’re switching practices, it helps to download and set up the NHS App early so you can request repeat prescriptions and see test results once enabled. Ancora’s pages link you through to online services and direct you toward the right route for admin or clinical requests.
Practical contact details and quick-start checklist
-
Main phone: 01724 842244. Use this when online triage is closed or for urgent same-day booking queries.
-
Arrive prepared: one problem per appointment for safety and fairness; request longer if you have multiple or complex issues.
-
Home visit requests: call before 11:00 where possible.
-
Interpreters: can be arranged—ask at booking.
-
Cancellations: please cancel if you can’t attend; repeated DNA may lead to removal.
Patient-friendly access tips (that locals say actually help)
-
Try online triage early (07:30 on weekdays). Capacity can fill quickly; early requests are more likely to be processed the same day.
-
Use the NHS App/SystmOnline to book, cancel, and order repeats without waiting on hold.
-
Ask about Enhanced Access if you can’t manage daytime—reception can book evenings/weekends at local hubs.
-
Know the sites. If one location’s slots are tight, ask whether the other branch has availability; clinicians work across both.
-
Use 111 appropriately. It’s faster than you think for non-emergency, after-hours issues and can route you to in-person care when needed.
Related: Unlocking Savings: Your Complete Guide to a Sofa Club Discount Code
Conclusion
Ancora Medical Practice is a two-site NHS GP service in Scunthorpe that’s accepting new patients and supporting modern, digital access alongside traditional booking. With Saturday pre-booked clinics at the main site, early-morning online triage, and Enhanced Access options for evenings and weekends, there’s genuine flexibility for busy households.
Combine that with a CQC “Good” overall rating and the breadth of multidisciplinary input from GPs to nurses, HCAs, pharmacists, social prescribers and more, and you’ve got a surgery designed to funnel you to the right clinician, right time, via routes that actually work in 2025. If you’re local to DN15/DN16 and want straightforward access with digital convenience, Ancora is well worth shortlisting.