All consultations are by appointment only. You can book an appointment by phoning the practice or in person at reception.
Our clinicians have 15 minute slots available. A single appointment is usually for a single person and a single problem. We ask you to appreciate that if the clinician has to deal with more than one issue, it can lead to their surgery running late which impacts on all the patients in terms of access. You may be asked to make another appointment if they feel the appointment is running over for this reason.
If you wish to see a specific clinician, please speak to the reception team about their availability which can vary due to holidays and sickness. We encourage patients presenting with most ailments or a new problem to see our advanced nurse practitioners in the first instance unless directed otherwise by our team of receptionists. They have been directed by the practice to get a brief outline of your problem when phoning for an appointment. This is to increase access to follow up slots with your named GP should you require it for an ongoing problem.
Cancellations
It is important that you inform the reception staff if you are unable to attend your appointment. Please attend your appointment on time, if you are late you may not be seen.
Same Day Appointments
For most ailments, appointments are available every day with our advanced nurse practitioner (ANP). These are best suited to the following types of issues, aches and pains, coughs, colds, infections, high temperatures, ear aches, dizziness, rashes, lumps and bumps or a new problem. Patients are asked to telephone the surgery at 8 am to make the appointment. Our reception team will ask you for a brief outline of your problem to direct you to the right clinician. If the problem is urgent and cannot be dealt with by an ANP , the patient will be offered a telephone consultation with the duty doctor in the first instance. We encourage all patients to phone for urgent matters, if at all possible, before 10.30 a.m. so we can respond to this request efficiently.
GP Appointments / GP Advance Appointments
These are best suited to long term health conditions such as issues with multiple symptoms, mental health issues, frailty and dementia, investigation results, fitness to work issues, family planning or follow up issues for which you need to see a specific doctor. It may be that you need to speak to a duty clinician first who will triage the request and allocate you a GP appointment if required or it may be that you are given a follow up appointment with a GP by a clinician. The reason for this is that we are trying to direct you to the right clinician for your problem (which may not require a GP) in order to reserve these appointments for patients who specifically require a GP consultation.
Telephone
Advice over the phone may be sufficient and avoid the need for a consultation or a home visit. These calls are by appointment. If you phone the surgery before 10.30 am, the receptionist will put all calls in with the duty clinician who will typically be one of our Advanced Nurse Practitioners who will phone you back that morning. No other telephone consultations will be accepted after this time unless it is a medical emergency needing dealt with that day. If you feel you need to speak to the duty doctor that day , the duty clinician will discuss this with you when he or she calls. Please note the duty doctor can be anyone of the GPs on a given day depending on other commitments and we do not release a named GP for that reason before or on the day.
Emergencies
You will always be seen during surgery hours where the duty doctor considers this clinically necessary. If the same day clinic is full and you feel you need to see a clinician urgently, the duty doctor will telephone you first to assess whether you need to be seen that day. Out-with these times, please call NHS 24.
Extended Hours
We now keep the practice open all day on public holidays excluding Christmas and New Year.
Home Visits
These are for patients who are too ill or infirm to visit the Surgery. If possible your request should be made before 10.00am, by giving us an indication of the problem and urgency. We advise all patients that the duty doctor will telephone you first to assess your symptoms.
