APPOINTMENTS
The Practice operates an appointment system for consultations with both doctors and nurses. If you are unable to attend an appointment we would appreciate you letting reception know. Those who repeatedly fail to attend risk being removed from the Practice list.
The practice is unable to support a walk-in service.
Consultations with Doctors and Practice Nurses are by appointment ONLY.
Please remember that you may have to wait a little longer to see a specific Doctor, but that you may make an appointment with any Doctor or Practice Nurse.
If you wish to make appointments at specific times e.g. after school/work you may again have longer to wait. Please give staff as much relevant information and they will endeavour to find the most suitable appointment time for you.
Mondays are understandably always very busy so if you feel that your problem can wait until later in the week we would appreciate this consideration. It is important to let us know as soon as possible if you are unable to keep your appointment. This will allow us to be able to offer the appointment to another patient.
Text Messages
We now offer a text messaging service for appointment reminders, this system also allows patients to cancel appointments by text. To activate this service please ensure we have your current mobile phone number.
Checking In For Appointment
We use an automated system for checking in of your appointment. The touch screen is in front of the reception desk.
Medical Emergency
If you feel that your condition is a medical emergency please make this clear to the Staff. They will ask for full details including history of the problem and pass on your information to the Duty Team for further action. This may be a planned telephone call back to further discuss your medical concerns within a 2 hour period or advice to immediately call 999
Consulting Times
Doctors and Nurses cover surgeries throughout the day routinely from 08:30 – 17:30.
Home Visits
We have a team of 3 highly skilled advanced nurse practitioners who are the first point of contact if you are either housebound or are too ill to make it to the surgery. They are trained to deal with most medical problems, and will assess and decide upon your care, and will discuss your problem with the duty doctor if necessary.
Home visits are for those who genuinely cannot travel, and the service is not provided as a convenience if you have difficulty in finding transport. This is because a nurse or doctor can see 3-4 patients in the clinic for each home visit. We ask patients who are housebound or feel they are too ill to come to the surgery to telephone 01542 831555 between 08:00 and 10:00. You will be asked to provide our administrative staff with as much relevant information as possible so that visits can be prioritised by the duty team. Please be aware that the doctor or advanced nurse practitioner may telephone you before a visit in order to assess your condition and gather more information.
If however you believe this to be a medical emergency for a life threatening condition please phone the ambulance directly on 999
Telephoning the Surgery
Whenever possible, please call the surgery during opening hours, when a receptionist will be available to take your call (see front page). When you phone to ask to speak to the doctor or practice nurse, please note that they may not always be available, so a message will be passed to them to let them know you have called.
When telephoning for a test result, please call after 2.00pm. When calling out-with opening hours, the answer machine message directs you to phone NHS24 on 111.