NHS App
Owned and run by the NHS, the NHS App is a simple and secure way to access a range of NHS services on your smartphone or tablet — including prescriptions and appointments. You can also access your NHS account using the NHS website.
Can another Healthcare Professional help?
Do you need to see the GP?
Sometimes the GP is not the most appropriate Healthcare Professional to deal with your ailment. Please see the information on see a Doctor or Healthcare Professional, which might help you decide whether a GP appointment is truly necessary or whether it might be better for you to see a Pharmacist, Optician, Dentist or other Healthcare Professional. You can even self-refer for some services without seeing your GP.
While GPs were historically the first point of contact for medical issues, it’s important to consider whether a GP is the most appropriate healthcare professional for your ailment. You may find it helpful to review the information on seeing a doctor or other healthcare professionals to determine the best course of action. In some cases, you may even be able to self-refer for certain services without needing to see a GP.
Please note that same-day appointments are only available for urgent issues. Our Care Coordinators are trained to triage requests from all patients and will ask for a brief reason for your request to direct you to the most suitable person to help you, which may not always be a doctor. We have a range of healthcare professionals available, including urgent care practitioners, pharmacists, health coaches, and a dietician, in addition to our doctors and nurses. The Care Coordinators are bound by the same confidentiality rules as our doctors and will not disclose or discuss your case. All information you provide will be recorded on your medical record.
For real life-threatening emergencies such as those below – RING 999
- Chest pain (suspected heart attack)
- Suspected stroke
- Suspected meningitis
- Anaphylactic shock (severe allergy)
- Heavy bleeding or deep lacerations
- Fluctuating levels of consciousness or completely unconscious
- Difficulty breathing or stopped breathing with a change in colour
- New seizure, fit or uncontrollable shaking
For immediately serious conditions such as the following, GO TO Emergency Department (A&E) IMMEDIATELY
- A fever and lethargic (drowsy) child
- A feverish and floppy (unresponsive) infant
- Difficulty breathing
- Sudden, severe abdominal pain
- Accidental or intentional overdose of medication
- Trauma (including falls) and possible broken bones or road traffic accident
Your appointment at the Practice
- Appointments with our doctors and nurses can be booked over the phone, or by coming into the surgery during our opening hours which are Monday to Friday 8:00am to 6:30pm. Please note Monday morning is the busiest time, if your call is not urgent you will get through quicker by calling later in the day or week.
- Doctors appointments can be requested via the Econsult service. Appointments can not be made directly as they need to triaged to ensure the appointment is with the right clinician.
- You can also phone us between 8:00am and 6:30pm Monday to Friday. If you need medical advice outside of these times, in the evening, weekends or Bank Holidays, then simply ring 111 and your call will be dealt with by the NHS out-of-hours service. Please note Monday morning is the busiest time, if your call is not urgent you will get through quicker by calling later in the day or week.
- Some nursing team appointments are available online. Please note that not all nurses can treat all conditions so please speak to reception if in doubt
- We have about one third of our appointments available each day for urgent matters which must be seen on the same day. All other routine issues will be booked in within two weeks
- Please make one appointment for each member of the family who needs to be seen
- We try to keep to time but please be patient if someone before you takes longer than planned
- As each doctor’s appointment is only for 15 minutes, the doctor can only deal with one issue we ask that patients do not stockpile a list of problems to present during a single consultation as there won’t be enough time to deal with them all properly
- Patients are welcome to ask to see a particular doctor or nurse and we would strongly recommend this for ongoing medical problems. If we are unable to meet a specific request, we will always seek to offer an alternative solution for you. Please note that calls may be recorded for training purposes
Please help us
If you are not able to attend your appointment please let us know in time so that the time can be used for someone else. If you are more than 10 minutes late for an appointment you may be asked to re-book.
Emergency appointments
Please note that if you book an emergency appointment, the doctor will only be able to deal with your urgent symptoms and won’t be able to discuss longer-term issues in the time allocated. Children under 16 years old should be accompanied by an adult.
Telephone consultations
As well as face to face consultations, we also offer the opportunity for appointments over the telephone too, to deal with quick queries that may not need an examination.
Extended access
We are working together with other local practices to offer more appointments in the early mornings, evenings or at weekends. Please speak to a member of the practice team to find out more.
If you have a suspected infectious disease
Please inform reception if you suspect an infectious disease, as this will enable us to deal with it appropriately during your visit to protect you, other patients and staff.
Giving Consent for Treatment
You have the right to accept or refuse treatment that is offered to you, and not to be given any physical examination or treatment unless you have given valid consent. If you do not have the capacity to do so, consent must be obtained from a person legally able to act on your behalf, or the treatment must be in your best interests.
Your valid consent (agreement to the course of action) is needed for the treatment that’s offered to you before any physical examinations or treatment can be given. If you haven’t given your consent, you can accept or refuse treatment that’s offered to you.
It’s important to be involved in decisions about your treatment and to be given information to help you choose the right treatment. When making treatment choices, you’ll often discuss the options with your doctor or another healthcare professional.