In the event of a serious or life-threatening emergency, go straight to A&E (Accident and Emergency) or telephone 999 and ask for the ambulance service.
If you need urgent, NON-emergency help for your physical or mental health when the Practice is closed, go online to 111.nhs.uk (https://111.nhs.uk/) or telephone 111. They will tell you what to do next.
HOW TO REQUEST AN APPOINTMENT OR MEDICAL ADVICE FROM THE PRACTICE
1. You can submit a request online to the Practice for an appointment, or request medical advice, using the “Get Help For Any Health Problem” link below. This is available from 8.00am until 6.30pm Monday-Friday, EXCLUDING Bank Holidays.
2. You can also telephone the Practice from 8.00am until 6.30pm Monday-Friday, EXCLUDING Bank Holidays on 01379 642023 and selecting option 1. The telephone service between 8.00am to 8.30am is an automated service where you can leave details of your request for our Clinical Triage Team to review.
3. You can also speak to our Reception Team face to face during Practice opening hours.
Whether you make your request online, by telephone, or face to face at the Practice ALL requests will be reviewed by our Clinical Triage Team, led by the Duty Doctor. This is to ensure that all requests are reviewed and prioritised on the basis of clinical need, as opposed to “first come, first served”.
WHAT HAPPENS AFTER YOU HAVE SUBMITTED YOUR REQUEST ?
The Clinical Triage Team will consider your request for an appointment or medical advice and tell you WITHIN 1 WORKING DAY what will happen next. This could be:
- An appointment that day or subsequent day OR
- A telephone call that day or subsequent day OR
- A text message responding to your query OR
- Advice to go to a pharmacy or another NHS service
NURSE AND HEALTHCARE ASSISTANT APPOINTMENTS ONLY
N.B. NOT FOR GP APPOINTMENT REQUESTS
- For nurse or healthcare appointments ONLY (NOT for GP appointment requests), please use our nurse or healthcare assistant appointment request form and we will respond as soon as possible. Please only use this option for nurse or healthcare assistant appointments.
When you get in touch, we’ll ask what you need help with.
We will use your answers to choose the most suitable clinician to help you.
Appointment information
We offer a range of appointment booking times. Appointments start at 8:30am and the last appointment time, for urgent calls only, is 6:20pm.
Between 12:30pm and 2:30pm members of our clinical team are out visiting patients and undertaking telephone consultations.
Improved Access
The Practice runs a GP and Nurse clinic between 6.30pm and 8.00pm one day per week, usually on a Monday.
We also operate a Saturday GP and Nurse clinic 1 Saturday in 9
At certain times of the year the Practice runs Flu and/or Covid-19 vaccination clinics on Saturdays.
We also offer early morning appointments from 7:30am four days per week.
Cancelling or changing an appointment
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.
EVEN IF YOU GIVE US RELATIVELY SHORT NOTICE WE CAN USUALLY OFFER THE APPOINTMENT TO ANOTHER PATIENT.
To cancel your appointment:
- use your NHS account (through the NHS website or NHS App)
- use the GP online system: SystmOnline
- phone us on 01379 642 023. Appointments can be cancelled 24 hours per day 7 days per week via the telephone (by selecting our Automated Telephone Service on Oprion 1), or on our website.
Emergencies (Please also see below re “When to call 999”)
NHS 111 can help if you have an urgent medical problem and you’re not sure what to do. When called you will need to answer questions about your symptoms on the website, or by speaking to a fully trained adviser on the phone.
You can ask for a translator if you need one.
Depending on the situation you’ll:
- find out what local service can help you
- be connected to a nurse, emergency dentist, pharmacist or GP
- get a face-to-face appointment if you need one
- be told how to get any medicine you need
- get self-care advice
When to call 999
At some point, most people will either witness or be involved in an accident or experience a medical emergency.
Knowing what to do next and who to call can potentially save lives.
Life-threatening emergencies
Call 999 in a medical emergency. This is when someone is seriously ill or injured and their life is at risk.
Medical emergencies can include:
- loss of consciousness
- an acute confused state
- fits that aren’t stopping
- chest pain
- breathing difficulties
- severe bleeding that can’t be stopped
- severe allergic reactions
- severe burns or scalds
Call 999 immediately if you or someone else is having a stroke. Every second counts with these conditions.
Also call 999 if you think someone has had a major trauma, such as after a serious road traffic accident, a stabbing, a shooting, a fall from height, or a serious head injury.
If you need help with your appointment
Please tell us:
- if there’s a specific doctor, nurse or other health professional you would prefer to respond
- if you would prefer to consult with the doctor or nurse by phone, face-to-face, by video call or by text or email
- if you need an interpreter
- if you have any other access or communication needs
Home visits
If possible please try to telephone reception before 10:30am if you require a home visit.
Get help for any health problem
You may only request a home visit if you are housebound or are too ill to visit the practice. Your GP will only visit you at home if they think that your medical condition requires it and will also decide how urgently a visit is needed.
You can be visited at home by a community nurse if you are referred by your GP.
You should also be visited at home by a health visitor if you have recently had a baby or if you are newly registered with a GP and have a child under five years.