Appointments

To keep up with an ever increasing demand for GP appointments whilst continuing to meet our aims of a prompt and appropriate personal service for patients, we are now incorporating telemedicine into our appointments system which has been endorsed by the NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement and tried and tested by practices across the UK.  

Our appointment system therefore now provides patients with daily Monday to Friday pre-set allocations of 4 different types of GP consultation: 

• Same day telephone consultation
• Same day in-surgery 
• Pre-book telephone consultation. 
• Pre-book in-surgery 

Our reception team manages the initial requests for all GP appointments and can check the availability of the different types of consultation for you.  The number to call is (01202) 886999 

Requests for same day in-surgery and telephone consultations are accepted up to 11am.  Pre-book in-surgery and telephone appointments can be made up to 2 weeks in advance. We will always endeavour to offer the consultation with the patient’s GP of choice whenever possible.  

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Telemedicine – A New Approach to Clinical Assessment Better Access and Greater Convenience for Patients 

We understand that telephone consultations are quite a change from the traditional method of access to GP services, and that some patients may have initial reservations. However, we have had some very positive feedback from our pilot scheme and hope that patients will work with us to help us to provide the best and most appropriate service for the benefit of all. 

How it works:
With telephone consultations the GP first speaks to the patient via the telephone to discuss their health concerns and to undertake a clinical assessment, often referred to as ‘triage’.  This method of consultation is also often suited to ‘follow up’ appointments.    

If a physical examination is necessary, the GP will themselves arrange a face to face surgery appointment for the patient taking into account the medical urgency of the situation and the patient’s availability to attend.  

Patients benefit enormously from this system in many ways: 

• Unnecessary visits to the surgery can be avoided thus saving patients time, transport costs and absence from work. 
• When they need to speak to a GP that day they can – by phone. 
• If it is clinically necessary to be seen by a GP that day they will be. Or if a particular date or time is preferred, this is easier to arrange      whilst speaking directly with the GP. 
• When a longer appointment is required or further diagnostic tests are appropriate, the GP can assess this at the outset and provide the right level of care. 
• Continuity of care with the same GP, particularly if further examination or follow up review is necessary, is another benefit. 

Patients can still book directly via reception for nurse and phlebotomy appointments up to 4 weeks ahead.  Our reception team can also help patients with repeat medication requests, test results and other administration queries such as referral queries, medication changes by hospital consultants, ongoing sick certification and signing of reports or forms.

IF YOU CANNOT KEEP YOUR APPOINTMENT PLEASE ADVISE THE SURGERY AS SOON AS POSSIBLE  

WAYS TO GET THE MOST OUT OF YOUR APPOINTMENT

Think about what you want to get out of the appointment. Try and think through your symptoms and give a clear history to the doctor or nurse.

Concentrate on one problem per visit. You might have several symptoms that you have noticed from one problem, but your GP or nurse cannot address several different problems in a ten minute appointment without risking missing things and making errors. If you feel you are going to need extra time, ask the receptionists to make you a double appointment.

One patient per appointment slot! Many patients try to be helpful by squeezing in another family member. Again there is a danger that issues wont be addressed fully and the only real effect is to make the doctor or nurse late for the next appointment. If you need 2 appointments for 2 people, please request them.

Arrive on time. When we looked at why doctors and nurses were running late, the most common preventable reason was patients arriving late for their appointment. In order to be fair to all our patients, if you arrive late and the doctor or nurse has already called you, you may be asked by reception to rebook

ARRIVING FOR YOUR APPOINTMENT

An electronic automated check in system is located in the entrance lobby of the surgery. Patients are requested to follow a few simple touch screen steps to register their arrival for their appointment. This automatically updates the appointment screen being viewed by reception and the clinical team so that they are aware you have arrived for your appointment.

Home Visits

Please call (01202) 886999 before 10.30am on the day you require a home visit.

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.

Test Results

Please call (01202) 886999 between 2pm and 3pm.

Note that the practice has a strict policy regarding confidentiality and data protection and we will only release test results to the person to whom they relate unless that person has given prior permission for the release of this data or they are not capable of understanding the results.

When you take your test you will be told how long it will be before the results are returned to the practice.

It is your responsibility to check your results and to make an appointment to discuss them with your doctor if your are advised to do so.