Our Appointment System

 

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In response to feedback from patients and to try and make it as easy as possible to talk to your doctor on the phone or be seen promptly, we now operate an 'on the day' phone-based system for everybody. Please be aware that Mondays are our busiest days and Wednesdays tend to be our quietest.

If you think you may need to be seen at the surgery by your GP, please call during the session you could come in (i.e., call in the afternoon if you can only come in in the afternoon). Unless you need to be seen urgently, please call at a time when you know your own doctor has a clinic.

Image of a doctor speaking to a patient

 

There are five ways to access a doctor’s appointment:

Via eConsult

  • You can use our eConsult service to consult with your GP online for all patients over 6 months old with non-urgent problems.
  • You will be directed to complete a quick form that is sent to and reviewed by us. It may also direct you to patient self-help, pharmacy advice and local self-referral services, if relevant.

SUBMIT AN ECONSULT

 

Booking your appointment online

  • Pre-bookable appointments are currently unavailable via SystmOnline. We are working hard to restore this service. If you are sent a personal appointment online from your GP please click the link and follow the instructions.
  • Some of our appointments are bookable three weeks in advance, some at midnight the night before, some at 08:30 and at 14:00 on the day of the appointment. Please put a brief description of the problem and the phone number you would like the doctor to use. 
  • You can also book appointments through the Airmid app or the NHS app.
  • Please note, if you are using our online service to request a call back from a GP, the time you book yourself in for a phone call is not necessarily the time you will be called back. Our GPs try and call everyone back as soon as they can, but times cannot be guaranteed, as it does depend on how busy things are.

ONLINE APPOINTMENT BOOKING ACCESS 

 

Calling reception

Telephone: 01273 426 200

  • To speak to a GP, simply phone the surgery and ask for a call back. Please let them know if you are unavailable for any time during that session as we will try and call when it is convenient for you. We have trained our medical receptionists to ask you for a brief outline of your problem. This is so that they can direct you to the most appropriate professional to manage your concern; this could be a practice nurse, pharmacist, physiotherapist, or mental health worker, rather than the GP. They will discuss your problem with you and agree what to do.
  • We are aware the phone lines get very busy, we now have a call back facility on our phones which means you do not have to hang on. We will call you back and you do not even lose place in the call queue.
 

In person via reception

  • You are also able to visit our practice in person to speak to our receptionists who can help you to arrange an appointment, or explain the options available to book one for yourself.
 

Extended hours appointment

  • We also have Extended Hours appointments between 18:30 and 20:30 Monday to Friday, Saturday 08:00 - 14:00 and 09:00-13:00 Sundays. These appointments may be by phone or a face to face appointment at Mile Oak Medical Centre, or a neighbouring surgery.
 

Please be aware that there is great pressure across the NHS for appointments now, so we cannot always guarantee one will be available for routine care the first time you ask. The eConsult service is often ideal if your problem is not urgent.

 

Practice Nurses and Healthcare Assistants

Appointments to see the practice nurse or healthcare assistant are pre-bookable up to 4 weeks in advance via our receptionists (01273 426200). For non-urgent appointments it is best to avoid calling during the first hour or two after 08:30 and 14:00, as the phone lines can be very busy at these times. 

 

Image of a doctor speaking to a patient

Continuity Policy

Evidence shows that both patients and clinicians value continuity of care – in the sense of a patient repeatedly consulting the same doctor and forming a therapeutic relationship. Each of our Patients is assigned to a "usual GP", and we encourage you to try and make your appointments with that GP whenever possible. Sometimes if you have an urgent problem that needs you to be seen quickly you may not be able to see your "usual GP". Our receptionists are skilled in helping you decide whether you need to be seen urgently, or if your problem can wait to see your usual GP. They may need to ask you some very simple questions to help you decide this.

 

Self Check-in for Appointments

We have a screen available on the reception desk to enable patients to check-in for their appointments. This is very quick and easy to use. If you would like assistance, please ask a member of the reception team.

 

Cancelling & Rescheduling Appointments

If you cannot attend your given appointment please call 01273 426 200 to cancel or reschedule. On average 40 people every month fail to turn up for their appointments without informing us.

These slots could be put to good use and offered to another patient, allowing the doctors and nurses to reduce any backlog of patients and reduce waiting times. Please think of others when you can no longer attend or need a scheduled appointment.

Keep it or Cancel It poster