We are moving to Telephone triage of all Appointment requests. If your requirement is NON URGENT please avoid making contact. The reception staff may require more detail from you. Online bookings can no longer be made.
It is easier and quicker to book appointments and request repeat prescriptions via our online service. Simply log in and select an option.
Due to COVID -19 the facility to make online appointments has been temporarily suspended until further notice.
To reduce footfall in the building, we are asking patients to nominate a chemist to collect your prescriptions and allow 96 hours (4 working days). Please remember to allow extra time for weekends and bank holidays.
If Patient Access is unavailable you are advised to make alternative arrangements for your medication and appointments.
If you haven’t yet registered for online appointments or repeat prescriptions please pop into Reception to request an individual patient log on (unfortunately this cannot be posted out due to Patient Confidentiality).
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.
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
- Routine appointments can be made for the doctor of your choice, by telephone or in person or by secure internet access. Surgery times are between 08:30 – 10:30, 11:00 – 12:30 and 14:50 – 17:00
- 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
- Appointments are normally ten minute slots and so if you have a complicated problem, or more than one problem, please ask for a longer appointment
- It is Practice policy to allow patients to choose whichever doctor they wish to attend in the Practice (however this may not always be possible during periods of annual leave or illness).
Please help us
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. We consider ‘Did Not Attends’ to be wasteful of appointments in that it prevents other patients from accessing medical attention in a timely way. Repeatedly booking and missing appointments without cancelling will result in removal from our practice list as we will determine that patient/doctor relationship has broken down.
Emergency Calls
For emergencies during surgery hours telephone 028 91638648 or you may contact the practice in a genuine emergency on 028 91638651.
Telephone access
If you feel it is necessary to speak to the doctor please phone the general enquiries line before 11:00am and leave details with the receptionist. A doctor will endeavour to phone you back within 24 hours. Please note that this may not always be possible, therefore if your call is urgent please inform the receptionist. Our receptionists will be able to assist with administration queries and provision of test results if the doctor has reviewed them and therefore they will ask for the reason for the call to ascertain if it is a clinical (doctor) or administrative (reception) query.
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. Treatment room nurses are also on duty from 08:30 – 17:30 Monday to Friday. They will provide dressings, immunisations, suture removal, ear syringing, blood sampling.
Visiting Relatives/Friends
If a patient relative or friend becomes unwell whilst visiting with you and is not able to attend their own GP, please contact reception for an appointment or request a telephone call with a doctor.
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.
Consultations 16 to 75
You do not have to be sick to see your GP. Routine checks are encouraged every 3 years or annually if you are over 75 years. Please contact reception to arrange a general health check.
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.
