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.

Home Visits

Whilst we encourage our patients to come to the surgery, where we have the proper equipment and facilities available, we do appreciate this is not always possible. In this respect, if you do need a home visit, you can help us by calling reception before 9.30am.

You may only request a home visit if you are housebound or are too ill to visit the practice. Your GP will only visit you at home if they think that your medical condition requires it and will also decide how urgently a visit is needed. Please bear this in mind and be prepared to provide suitable details to enable the doctor to schedule house calls

You can also be visited at home by a community nurse if you are referred by your GP. You should also be visited at home by a health visitor if you have recently had a baby or if you are newly registered with a GP and have a child under five years.

Sickness Certificates

You do not require a doctor's sickness certificate for any illness lasting seven days or less. Your employer may however require you to complete a self-certification form (SC2) which is available from your employer or on the HMRC website.

Evidence that you are sick

If you are sick for more than seven days, your employer can ask you to give them some form of medical evidence to support payment of SSP (statutory sick pay).

It is up to your employer to decide whether you are incapable of work. A medical certificate, now called a 'Statement of Fitness for Work’ (see below) from your doctor is strong evidence that you are sick and would normally be accepted, unless there is evidence to prove otherwise.

You could also provide evidence from someone who is not a medical practitioner, e.g. a dentist. Your employer will decide whether or not this evidence is acceptable. If your employer has any doubts, they may still ask for a medical certificate from your GP.

Statement of Fitness for Work - ’Fit Note'

The 'fit note' was introduced on 6 April 2010. With your employer's support, the note will help you return to work sooner by providing more information about the effects of your illness or injury.

For more information see the DirectGov website (where this information was sourced)

Training Practice

We are fortunate to have medical students attached to our practice for short periods. If you do not wish to have the student present during your consultation, please inform the reception staff prior to seeing the doctor.