How to Make and Cancel an Appointment

Care Navigation (Signposting)

Over the coming months you will notice your receptionist begin to ask for a brief outline of your problem when you ring to book an appointment.

This is because we are introducing something called “Care Navigation”. It means we are training receptionists and clerical staff to help them help patients by identifying the most appropriate place for their care.

Through this specialist training, our practice team will be able to direct you to the most appropriate health clinician for your needs first.

Receptionists will never offer clinical advice or triage; this new way of working is about offering you the choice to see more appropriate professionals in the practice team or even somewhere else. If they can deal with the problem directly, it will often be quicker and means you may not need to see the GP at all.   More Information...

 

Urgent appointments every weekday with Julie, our Advanced Nurse Practitioner / Prescriber

 

Book your appointment online using

 

 

 

 

Book face-to-face or remote appointments with your GP, nurse or clinician at a time that suits you.

Your details and information are protected by the highest standards of online security, so all you need to worry about is what to do with the spare time you’ve earnt.

USE PATIENT ACCESS

Quick and easy to book/cancel appointments 24/7

Frees up phone lines for elderly and vulnerable patients

To sign up please ask reception for the necessary details and visit www.patientaccess.com 

 

Problems booking online appointments?

Use the Patient Access Support Centre before you call us.

 

Use MyGp app on your mobile phone 

Download the new appointment bookings app to your smartphone for free. myGP was developed to make access to healthcare easier and faster for patients. Once downloaded, simply log-in with your date of birth and mobile number and add the people you care for, allowing you to book and cancel appointments for them. It’s really that easy! For more information, please visit: mygp.com

 

Appointments

Reception is open on weekdays from 8am to 6.30pm.

Appointments may be booked in advance, but each day some slots are reserved for emergency consultations only. Acute / urgent issues on the day are generally seen by the Advanced Nurse Practitioner.

The phone line is closed between 1.15pm and 2.15pm for administrative purposes.

You can also book your appointments online. Click here for more information.

 

How to get the most from your appointment

  - Make a list of what you want to ask the GP

Write a list of things that you want to discuss with the GP in order of your priority. When you go into your consultation show the list to him/her so that he can decide what is important to deal with on this visit and to judge if any of your problems may be related to each other. Please bear in mind that it is not normally possible for your doctor to deal with more than two problems during one visit and that he may ask you to make another appointment to discuss anything not covered. Another reason for writing a list is that perhaps you find some problems embarrassing and private and therefore leave them until last, at which point time has run out.

  - Make sure you understand what the doctor is telling you

It’s a good idea to make notes if you think you might not remember what the doctor is telling you and ask him to explain clearly if there is something you don’t understand. If you need blood tests make a note of what they are – you can check more about blood tests if you have access to the internet on www.labtestsonline.com. If you telephone the surgery to book a test or to get a result it helps the receptionist if you can tell her what tests you are asking about.

  - Dress appropriately

If you might need to undress for an examination or roll up your sleeve for an injection or blood pressure test, please wear suitable clothing so that valuable time isn’t wasted while you undo elaborate zips, buttons and fastenings.

  - Take responsibility for your own health

Please telephone the surgery for results of any tests and if you need regular blood tests try to remember to book an appointment well in advance. Try to take your medication as advised by your doctor. If you have stopped taking any medication, please do not stockpile it – tell your pharmacist or GP why you no longer need it and ask them to remove it from your repeat prescription list. Wasted drugs cost the NHS huge amounts of money every year.

  - And finally … please be patient and nice to our extremely dedicated receptionists!

 

Appointment reminders

Please let reception know your current mobile number and let them know you consent to receive messages.