Appointments

How to Make an Appointment

• Telephone the surgery on 01922 624320
• Call personally at the surgery
• Book online via this website

Please let us know in good time if you are unable to keep your appointment so we can allocate it to another patient. Repeated failure to attend booked appointments may result in you being removed from our list.

Emergency Appointments

If you feel the appointment you are offered is not soon enough, please tell the receptionist. We will always try to see you when time allows, and we will always see you quickly if your condition is medically urgent.

At an ‘urgent appointment' you will be seen by the duty doctor of the day. There will not be time to do routine examinations such as blood pressure checks etc, or issue repeat prescriptions.

Please think of others! We ask you not to abuse this facility as it may reduce the time available for patients already booked in.

GP running late again?

WE HAVE HAD A NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT DOCTORS RUNNING LATE AND PATIENTS BEING KEPT WAITING FOR THEIR APPOINTMENTS.

THERE ARE SEVERAL REASONS FOR THIS.

PATIENTS BRING LISTS OF PROBLEMS

THIS IS PROBABLY THE MAIN REASON THE DOCTOR DOES NOT RUN TO TIME.

Please do not bring lists of ailments for the doctor to deal with in a single appointment.

The time allocated for your appointment is ten minutes, and this is usually only sufficient for the doctor to deal adequately with a single problem (although we will never cut a consultation short after 10 minutes as we do believe in giving your problem due consideration if it takes a little longer to deal with.)

If you feel you will need to spend more time with the doctor, or have a number of issues you wish to discuss, please talk to the receptionist when you book the appointment. If we have called you in for review please don't expect us be able to adequately deal with any other issues in that appointment.

PATIENTS ARRIVING LATE FOR THEIR APPOINTMENT STILL EXPECT TO BE SEEN 

Please try to arrive on time for your appointment. If you are late every patient seen after you will probably be seen late.

Furthermore, although we will usually try to “slot you in” somewhere if you are late, you may have to wait until the end of the surgery. We cannot guarantee we will be able to see you at all.

OTHER FAMILY MEMBERS, FRIENDS ETC. WISH TO BE SEEN AT THE SAME TIME

One patient only per appointment, please.

EMERGENCIES

These are rare but, due to the nature of our work, unpredictable, inevitable and unavoidable. We ask for your understanding and empathy when one arises.

HELP US TO HELP YOU

Please remember – if your doctor is running late, it is likely to be for a good reason.

Home Visits

At least three patients can be seen at the practice in the time it takes to conduct one home visit, so please do not ask for one unless it is absolutely necessary.

Home visits are only for people who are housebound or too ill to travel. Lack of transport is not an adequate reason to request a home visit.

We ask you to always attend the surgery if at all possible. You will generally be seen more quickly if you can attend the surgery. Facilities for examination are always better at the surgery, and we have more equipment to hand should this be necessary.

If you do feel a home visit is, or is likely to be, necessary, then please ring the surgery before 10.00am as this will assist in prioritising and planning rounds.

You will need to leave a contact number in case the doctor needs to speak with you beforehand.  DO NOT assume the doctor is coming just because you have requested a visit, unless he or she has called to confirm.

Telephone Advice.

There are many things, medical & non-medical, e.g. sick notes, blood results, insurance claims, that can initially be discussed on the telephone, saving a visit to the surgery.

If you do wish to discuss any matter on the telephone with the Doctor or other member of staff, then please ring between 11.30am & 12.30pm any day.

If the person you wish to speak to is not available, leave your name and contact number and you will be called back as soon as possible. Wherever possible please provide a land line number. For confidentiality reasons no messages will be left on telephone answering machines unless you expressly consent to it.