Types of appointment
Do you need a routine or a same day appointment?
In common with other practices, we operate a full appointments system, with different types of appointments available throughout the day.
Routine appointments
These are for non-urgent problems that can wait until our next routine appointment.
The majority of our appointments are pre-bookable, and can be booked up to 4 weeks in advance. Early morning and late evening appointments are generally for the benefit of those who work during the day.
Same day appointments
These are for urgent problems that cannot wait until the next working day. We have a strictly limited number of same day appointments available each day for patients whose problems have come on quickly or whose problems have suddenly got worse. We try to ensure that these limited number of appointments are used appropriately. This system is to ensure that patients who need to be seen urgently can be seen within government recommended timescales.
If you feel you need to be seen urgently the same day, please contact our reception. The doctor on duty may ring you to ask for more information about your condition so that it may be dealt with in the appropriate manner.
If you have chest pain, or suspect a stroke has occurred please do not ring for an appointment. Please ring 999 immediately.
Do you need to see the doctor?
Our Nursing Team can provide advice and assistance in connection with a number of health related issues. These include:
Diabetes
Asthma
Blood Pressure Management
Minor Injuries
Smoking Cessation
Health Checks - Male & Female
Diet & Weight Management
Vaccinations
Travel Advice
Missed and Late Appointments
Missed appointments waste huge amounts of time and effort. Nationally, missed appointments cost the NHS over half a billion pounds a year, which is enough to run two hospitals. The total number of missed appointments in this surgery alone is the same as if the surgery was closed for several days every year.
Please bear this in mind the next time you ring and can't get an appointment - it may be because someone didn't come to their appointment and forgot to cancel. If you could possibly be that person, please try and let us know that you cannot make it to your appointment, so that we may give your appointment to someone else. Patients who repeatedly fail to attend their appointments will be sent a letter.
If you are more than ten minutes late for your appointment, you will only be seen at the discretion of the doctor or nurse and you may have to wait until the end of surgery.