You may consult with any doctor in the practice if their availability allows. All surgeries are by appointment only.

From Friday 12th June 2020 it is expected that if you are requesting an apppointment or advice for a new problem or concern that you fill in an ECONSULT online if you have internet access.

The aim is that you will get a response from a clinician by the end of the next working day either by a telephone consultation, email, prescription or from a member of the team offering an appointment. 

People who do not have internet access can still speak to one of our patient services advisors and arrange an appoointment but will be asked more detailed questions, in the strictest confidence, about their problem so it can be dealt with most appropriately by the right person.  

Please also remember to make a separate request for each person to be seen – only one patient can be seen per appointment, so please do not ask receptionists to fit in extras.

If you have more than one thing to discuss with the doctor then please make this clear when requesting an appointment. 

When you contact the practice you will speak to a ‘Patient Services Advisor’ who is trained to arrange an appointment with the most appropriate person depending on your need and urgency.

If you are requesting an appointment for a new problem or concern they will ask you questions about your symptoms in order to navigate you to the person best suited to help you. The Patient Services Advisor is not being nosey, nor will they make any clinical decisions, they have been trained to help you get the most appropriate care, from the most appropriate person.

Patient Services Advisors, like all members of the team, are bound by the same confidentiality rules.

Thank you for your support.

Due to the coronavirus pandemic we have had to adapt the way we work very quickly. We are dealing with problems more remotely and via the telephone where possible.

If the clinician feels as though your problem or concerns can be dealt with by a telephone consultation then the Patient Services Advisor will arrange this with you.

All patients are entitled to have a chaperone present for any consultation, examination or procedure where they consider one is required. The chaperone may be a family member or friend, but on occasions a formal chaperone may be preferred.

Patients can help us by telling us they would like a chaperone present at the time of booking the appointment, this avoids delays, but we are happy to provide a chaperone without prior notice. The Healthcare Professional may also require a chaperone to be present for certain consultations.

Patients are requested, where possible, to telephone before 11am if a home visit is required that day.

We would request that, apart from the genuinely housebound, all other patients attend the surgery rather than request a home visit because of the extra time home visiting takes. On average four to five patients can be seen in surgery in the time it takes to do a single house call. In addition, the care that can be offered due to the lack of adequate lighting, examination facilities and equipment means that you may not receive as good a service as the doctor may be able to offer if you came to the surgery.

Please note that the doctor may telephone you rather than visit you if this is medically appropriate. Ultimately it is the doctors right to decide whether or not a visit is appropriate for a particular set of circumstances.

We have a texting service which allows you to recieve confirmation and reminders about your appointments.

Please remember to update your contact details with us when you change address, telephone numbers and email address.

Please attend your appointment on time, if you are late you may not be seen. If you are not seen you will not be able to rearrange your appointment until the next working day-except in the event of an medical emergency that requires immediate attention.

If you require an interpreter to attend with you when you see your doctor please notify the receptionist and she will arrange this for you.

Enhanced Access services at GP practices: What does it mean?

The way GP services are provided on evenings, weekends and bank holidays is changing.  

From 1 October 2022, appointments will be made available outside of normal practice hours, to include weekday evenings, weekends, and bank holidays. Some of these will be provided at the practice and some at local hubs.

Things that won’t change are:  

• The overall number of hours that need to be provided for patients. 
• The hub locations, for face-to-face appointments, still need to be convenient to patients. 
• The type of appointment – a mixture of face-to-face and remote (telephone, video, online) appointment will be available.
• Appointments will continue to be available with GPs and Practice Nurses in addition to other healthcare roles.  

We hope that this will allow patients to book appointments at time that may be more suitable for them.

To book an appointment please contact us, during normal opening hours, and speak to one of our Patient Service Advisors who will be able to help. Appointments may not be with your registered GP but will be with a GP or other qualified healthcare professional.