Appointments

How to Request an Appointment

You can make an appointment in the following ways:

We open up our appointments every day at 08:00. We urge all our patients to try to book an appointment as close to 08:00 as possible.

We have limited spaces in our car park, which is often busy. We suggest therefore that you arrive in plenty of time to allow for parking and checking in.

Your GP Practice is Here for you

Your GP practice is home to a team of healthcare professionals.

Of course, there’s your doctor, but there may also be a clinical pharmacist, physiotherapist or a health and wellbeing coach. There are also social prescribers, who can signpost you to a range of support services in your local community.

The different roles are experts in different areas, which helps ensure you are seen by the person best suited to your needs.

How are Appointments Made?

All appointments are triaged over the phone. This means you are asked to describe what is wrong, so that we can make sure you have an appointment with the most appropriate person.

What is Triage?

A trained member of the GP practice team assesses you over the phone and decides which type of appointment is most suitable.

Sometimes, our receptionists need to ask personal questions to help make sure you speak to the right person. GP reception staff are a vital part of the GP practice team. They are skilled in assisting with triage and treat all information confidentially.

Who Might I see or Speak to?

GP practices, or networks of GP practices are now home to a range of health professionals who can diagnose and treat you.

If it is most appropriate for you to see a doctor, you will be offered an appointment with a GP. However, a GP is not always the best person for you to see.

The NHS App

The NHS App is a simple and secure way to access a range of services on your smartphone or tablet. It is free from app stores. You need to be 16 or over to use the NHS COVID Pass service and registered with an NHS GP practice in England.

The NHS App should not be confused with the NHS COVID-19 App which offers the fastest way to see if you’re at risk from coronavirus.

Use the NHS App to:

  • Get your NHS COVID Pass – view and share for domestic use or travel abroad
  • Order repeat prescriptions
  • Book appointments
  • Get health advice
  • View your health record
  • Register your organ donation decision

You will need a working mobile phone and email address to be able to create a login. For more information and instructions on how to download/use the NHS App, please visit www.nhs.uk/nhs-app.

Out of Hours Service

Between 18:30 and 08:00 Monday to Friday and all day at weekends and on Bank Holidays your call will be redirected to the NHS 111 service.

Emergencies

In a genuine emergency, you should call 999. Chest pains and/or shortness of breath constitute as an emergency.

Appointment Reminder Service

Have your ever thought that you ought to be somewhere but can’t remember where?

We offer a free text reminder service to all patients. When you make a pre-bookable appointment we will send you a text reminding you of your forthcoming appointment.

We do not send any patient identifiable information, Occasionally we may have a health campaign, such as our flu campaign, and we may use the text service to make you aware that our flu season is underway.

To take advantage of this free service all you need to do is contact the surgery to provide us with your current mobile telephone number and let us know you would like to use the service.

Cancellations and Missed Appointments

Please remember to cancel your appointment if you are unable to attend. We can then offer that appointment to another patient. If you are running late, please do try and let us know, however, we cannot guarantee you will be seen if you are not on time.

To cancel, you can:

Missed Appointments

To maximise the number of available daily appointments for those patients who wish to see a doctor, it is courteous to arrive for your appointment on time, and not waste that appointment. However, we realise that sometimes unavoidable delays can occur, and as such a 5 minute allowance has been introduced.

Due to our comprehensive appointment schedule, any patient who arrives 5 minutes or more, late for a booked appointment, for whatever reason, will not be able to see the doctor or nurse for that appointment.

Patients, who continually fail to attend appointments they have made, may be removed from the list.

Should you still require an appointment, you will be asked to re-book for another day either with the receptionist or by telephone or online booking in line with the normal booking procedure.

Where you believe urgent medical treatment is necessary that day, you will be offered a telephone callback consultation with a doctor or primary care practitioner, who will assess your needs and advise if immediate medication/appointment is appropriate for that day.

Delays

Every effort is made to adhere to the exact appointment time but your appointment can be delayed if an unpredictable problem is encountered with the patient seen before you.

We apologise if such a delay should affect you but remind you that your time used in this way enables us to give the best possible care to our patients.