Appointments

Due to the current Covid-19 situation, we are currently applying a phone triage system.

Our reception team will get some details for your call today and the GP on duty will arrange a telephone appointment to try to resolve your concern promptly, or to make the decision to bring you in to the practice. We would ask for your support in this as it will lead to speedier service.

PLEASE BE AWARE THAT ALL PATIENTS ADMITTED TO THE PRACTICE MUST BE PREPARED TO WEAR A FACEMASK AND SANITISE YOUR HANDS ON ARRIVAL.

Please note appointments are now available with a Social Worker, Mental Health Worker, and Pharmacist.  You can book directly through reception and do not need to be referred by a GP.

• Consultation with a member of the Primary Care Team (GP, Nurse, Healthcare Asst.) is by appointment only.
• The appointment system operates to facilitate both the patient and the doctor.
•  If you require an Urgent same day appointment you should phone once the telephone line opens at 8.30am. You will be allocated an appointment with the doctor available.
• If you have attended the A & E Dept of the Hospital and instructed to attend your Practice Nurse you must make an appointment.
• If your request is for a specific clinic attendance you will be notified by letter, when the individual clinic is scheduled.
• If you are late for an appointment you may not be seen.
• If you do not attend (DNA) your appointment on three consecutive occasions over the period of one year, that is you do not cancel your appointment should you no longer require one, you may be removed from the Practice Register.
• If you fail to keep your “new patient” registration appointment without explanation you will not be offered another appointment.

Appointments with a Doctor:

For routine consultations we will endeavour to offer patients an appointment within two working days of the request. For medically urgent requests, we will offer an appointment on the same day (Or as directed by a member of the Primary Care Team). If you request an appointment for a specific clinic you may have to wait more than two days (or you will be given the next available appointment for the clinic).

With a Practice Nurse

For routine appointments we will offer an appointment as quickly as possible.

Routine blood tests are carrried out by our Healthcare Assistant.

Reception

The medical receptionists are there to assist you and answer any questions within their remit. Every assistance will be provided by them to ensure your needs are met.

The receptionists treat all information with confidentiality and within the legislation of the Data Protection Act and may only provide information relating specifically to you as the patient.

Home Visits

If possible please try to telephone reception before 10am if you require a home visit.

Although a patient may request a house visit, it is the doctor who decides, on the basis of medical need if a house visit is appropriate. 

A doctor or nurse may phone you back as it may be that your problem can be dealt with by telephone advice, or that it would be more appropriate to send a nurse, or indeed arrange a hospital attendance.

House visits are only available for patients who are housebound because of illness or disability.

Please remember that several patients can be seen in the practice in the time that it takes to make one home visit. There are also better facilities for examining and treating patients at the Health Centre.

Patients living outside the practice boundaries (10miles) will not be visited at home.

Telephone Access

Should you require to speak to your GP, please ring before 10am. Staff will inform you of the procedure for each individual doctor to accept your call.

Unfortunately it is not possible to speak to the doctor during his consultation periods. In the case of an emergency situation staff will inform the doctor of your need to speak with him/her.

NURSE TRIAGE

If you are unsure if your symptons/problem requires a doctor's appointment you may ask to speak to the Practice Nurse for advice or the receptionist may suggest/arrange for the practice nurse to speak to you or call you back if the doctor is unable to speak to you when you contact the practice.

Telephone System

The Practice telephone system is extremely busy especially during the hours which are available for ordering prescriptions (either acute prescriptions or prescription requests from the elderly and housebound).

Ordering repeat prescriptions by telephone takes quite a long time as some patients have a very lengthy list of medication requirements (this is available only to the elderly).

This places a heavy demand on the telephone system.

The telephone system streamlines calls by offering an option once the call is answered. The caller is placed in a queuing system until the receptionist becomes available to answer the call.

Disabled Patients

We have access to the Medical Centre for patients in wheelchairs and provide toilet facilities. Our doctors consulting rooms and our Treatment room are situated at ground floor level.