Appointment System Update 16.08.21:
We are now offering routine and emergency appointments face to face.
You will be asked to do a lateral flow test before your appointment. You can get these free from the Pharmacy. If you have symptoms of COVID you will be asked to do a PCR lab test (COVID), this can be organised by contacting 119 or you can book online. You will be seen, but not in the health centre in the POD in the car park.
Appointments we offer are
- Routine Appointments – these are released two week in advance. We usually encourage you to see your Named GP.
- Same day appointments – these are released for Urgent Same day care. They are sit and wait appointments, and patients will be seen in order of medical need.
- E–Consult – when you cannot wait for a routine appointment, or are requesting a same day appointment you may be asked to complete an E-consult via the website if we have reached capacity for the day, to ensure we are the right place to manage your acute problem. Once we receive your e-consult will be dealt with in the most appropriate way, which may include a face to face appointment, phone call, or electronic response.
- Community Pharmacist referral – Reception staff may refer you for an appointment with a local pharmacy, for minor illnesses.
How you can help us
- If you need to book an appointment, please ring the health centre, don’t come in, as we are trying to keep the reception area clear for checking patients in.
- We appreciate that you may not have been to the Drs for a while due to lockdown, please can you keep to a minimum of one problem to discuss with the Dr, if you have several problems you may be asked by the Dr to book another appointment.
- Please be kind, the receptionists are following practice processes that have been put in place by the GP Partners, these processes are reviewed regularly, to ensure that we have the appropriate appointments needed.
- GP’s self-isolating – We may at short notice have to change your appointment to a telephone call. We will do our best to make sure you still have your appointment, but may on occasions need to cancel it or rearrange it to another GP who is in the surgery.
Things that may not need an appointment
We know you have better things to do than come to the doctor. You often don’t need an appointment for
- Medication reviews though you may need to have annual blood tests done. Typically we send an electronic message on your prescription to indicate when your blood tests is needed to the pharmacist. Most often this is once a year. Further details are available in medication monitoring.
- Pill review though we will ask you to complete a form once a year
- Urinary tract infections (UTIs), though the receptionist will ask you to complete some questions and you may need to come in to our sit and wait clinic, especially if you are a man, an older person, a child, or very ill.
- Your blood pressure, which is typically much better checked at home where you are less stressed and hassled. We are happy to look over a set of your blood pressure readings and usually advise bringing in a set once a year.
- Sick notes, though you may be asked to come in.
On the other hand, you will usually need an appointment when you are asking for a new medication, or a medication that you have not had in more than a year, or for antibiotics (other than UTIs).
