Appointments

Consultations are by appointment and can be made in person at reception, over the telephone or online.

Routine appointments can be made in advance whilst urgent cases are seen on the same day. If you require an urgent appointment, please call the surgery between 8:30am and 9:30am.

Please remember that each appointment is for one person only and additional appointments should be made for others requiring a consultation.

Routine consultations with the doctor are 15 minutes. Please be aware that if you have multiple issues to discuss we may ask you to book a further appointment. This helps us to keep to appointment times and ensures enough time can be given to assess your problem and treat you properly.

Sometimes our clinics run late, we are sorry. It is most often due to unwell patients who require prioritising to earlier appointments or if something has taken longer than expected to assess.  We do appreciate your understanding.

We understand that you also sometimes run late. If you are late for your appointment you may be asked to wait until the end of surgery to be seen or to make another appointment. This is to prevent other patients waiting.

Urgent Appointments

These Appointments are for:

• Sudden illness of a serious nature.
• Symptoms which you feel cannot wait for a routine appointment.
• Pain unrelieved by Paracetamol.
• Young children and babies with worrying symptoms.
• Emergency contraception (not repeat regular contraception.)
• Episodic problems, where you have been asked to attend during such an episode.

These appointments are not for:

• Repeat prescriptions.
• Sick notes.
• Test results (unless expressly requested by the doctor.)
• Follow-up appointments.
• For symptoms you have had for some time and that have not changed or worsened.  (It is better to make a routine appointment when more time can be allocated).
• Insurance forms/Support letters.

Telephone Advice

Some problems are better solved over the phone – most of a doctor’s diagnosis is based on the ‘history of the symptoms’ – so it is often sensible for you to contact your doctor by phone. To make this more efficient we will give you an actual ‘appointment time’, which we will try to keep clear for you. Please ensure that all of your contact details are up to date and your phone is switched on. Please be aware that the number we are calling from may be withheld.

Practice Nurses

In a number of cases it might be worth considering an appointment with a practice nurse rather than a doctor. Practice nurses are qualified to deal with many conditions and you may be seen more quickly. Please ask reception for further details.

Cancellations

If you cannot attend an appointment for any reason please inform us as soon as possible in order for us to give the slot to someone else.

Zero Tolerance

We strongly support the NHS policy on zero tolerance. Anyone attending the surgery who abuses any of the staff or other patients be it verbally, physically or in any threatening manner whatsoever, will risk removal from the practice list.