Island GPs will not be available for routine appointments during the afternoon of Wednesday, December 18, from 1pm to 6pm.

They will be taking part in a training session.

Anyone who needs to see a doctor urgently should ring their surgery for an appointment with the on-call GP.

Practices will remain open during the afternoon for patients to collect test results, make future appointments and order repeat prescriptions as normal.

This month’s session sees a change of format with the focus being on the island’s skin service comprising dermatology and plastic surgery.

Resident consultants Professor Partha Vaiude and Professor Philip Harrison and the island’s tissue viability nurse Lisa Kelly will lead presentations on their work.

The quarterly education sessions were established in 2012 to give GPs the opportunity to discuss developments in medical care and best practice, and to explore ways to enhance care for patients in the Isle of Man at a focused session away from their surgeries.