How to make an appointment

You can make an appointment via the following ways:

• By visiting Appointments. Your request will be assessed and assigned to the best person to help you with your concern.
• Booking an appointment via Patient Access. You will need to be registered for our online services. Please complete our Register for Online Services form to use this option.
• By calling the practice on 0239 246 6216.

We are a traditional style general practice. We have 3 GP partners and 5 GP trainees. We operate a personal list system so that all our patients have a named doctor. We try to ensure that people are seen by their own doctor whenever possible.

On average there is a 6 to 10 day wait to see your doctor for a routine appointment. We would request that you book these appointments as far in advance as is possible. Appointments are available for booking 6 weeks in advance. For example if your doctor requests that they see you again in 1 months’ time please book this as soon as possible. Routine appointments may be booked online here or by phoning our reception team.

If you cannot wait until the next available appointment with your own doctor, you will be offered an appointment with another doctor. If you feel that you need to be seen sooner than that available appointment, please let the receptionist know. They will then ask you for some basic details about your problem and what you believe is needed to resolve your problem. This information will then be forwarded to your doctor who will contact you with a plan within 2 working days.

If you are acutely unwell and believe that you need to see a doctor within the next 2 working days, please call the surgery and select option 2 on our phone system. Our receptionists will either offer you an urgent appointment on the same day of if not available a phone consultation with your own doctor or the duty doctor that day. We always try and call people back as soon as possible and make a suitable management plan.

If you require advice, a sick note or have a query about your condition, medication, a hospital appointment or something else please use our quick message system here. We will contact you with an answer within 2 working days. If you have not heard from us by this time please call our reception team.

SMS Text Reminders

We use SMS appointment reminders to those of you who have mobile telephones. When booking an appointment you will receive 1 SMS within 30 minutes to say an appointment has been made, then you will receive a reminder SMS 48 hours before your appointment day and time.

It is important that we have your correct mobile phone number, so if you have changed your number recently then please let the practice know by completing our Change Personal Details form so that your registrations details can be updated. If you wish not to receive SMS reminders then please come in to the surgery and complete an opt out form.

Cancellations

If you are unable to keep an appointment please let us know as soon as possible by completing our Cancel an Appointment triage – this may enable someone else to be seen.

If you are cancelling an appointment within a day of your appointment, please telephone the surgery on 0239 246 6216.