Care Navigation
When you ask for a GP appointment, our friendly reception team will help you find the right health professional. They might suggest a phone call or a face-to-face visit with our Advanced Nurse Practitioner, Paramedic, Nurse, or GP. They might also send you to another healthcare provider in the community, like your local pharmacist.
Urgent appointments
To request an urgent appointment for today (Monday to Friday):
- phone us on 01472 801234 during our opening hours
- visit the surgery and speak with a receptionist during our opening hours
When you contact us, we’ll ask you a few questions about how you’re feeling. We use this information to pick the best doctor, nurse, or health professional to help you.
Routine appointments
To request a routine appointment in the next 14 days:
- use your NHS account (through the NHS website or NHS App)
- use our online system
- use our online form
- phone us on 01472 801234 during our opening hours
There are only a few GP appointments available to book each day. Our reception team will help you find the best health professional to see. If you book online, check our clinics and services page first. You should get a response from us within 48 hours after you ask for an appointment online. If you don’t hear from us in that time, please call the number above. Click here for information on how to register for online services.
Your appointment
However you choose to contact us, we may offer you a consultation:
- by phone
- face to face at the surgery
Phone appointments can be more flexible and often mean you get help sooner. However, sometimes the GP might still need you to come in for an examination.
Cancelling or changing an appointment
Please remember that each appointment is for one patient only. It would be helpful if you would be punctual or cancel any appointments you no longer need.
To cancel your appointment:
- use your NHS account (through the NHS website or NHS App)
- use our online system
- use our online form
- phone us on 01472 801234 during our opening hours
- use the cancellation link on your SMS text reminder for the appointment
Non-Attendance of Appointments
Since we started having more face-to-face appointments, more patients are missing their appointments. This makes others who need to see a doctor wait longer.
Starting April 1, 2024, we have a new policy to help with this problem.
Here are the steps if you miss an appointment:
- First Missed Appointment: We will contact you to talk about what happened and explain what will happen if you miss another appointment.
- Second Missed Appointment: You will get a warning letter asking why you missed the appointments. If you miss another one, you might be removed from our practice.
- Third Missed Appointment: You will get a second warning letter and must talk to our Patient Liaison Team. If you don’t have a good reason for missing the appointments, or if you don’t contact us, you might be removed from our practice.
If you are removed from the practice, you will have 30 days to find a new doctor.
We count missed appointments over a 12-month period. This policy also applies to children who miss appointments because their parent or caregiver didn’t bring them. If this happens many times, we will talk to our safeguarding team to decide what to do.
Home visits
Home visits are decided by the doctor and are only for medical reasons. Usually, you should ask for a home visit only if you are very sick or can’t leave your house.
Call between 8:00 AM and 10:00 AM to ask for a home visit, unless it’s an emergency, then you can call anytime. When you call, tell the receptionist that you need a home visit. It might be a Paramedic or Community Nurse who visits you, not always the GP.
When we are closed
If you have an urgent health need while the practice is closed, please call NHS 111 (all calls to 111 will be recorded).
In a genuine emergency you should call 999. Chest pains and/or shortness of breath constitute an emergency.
If you have a Mental Health or Adult Social Care issue, please call 01472 256256. This service is available 24/7.
For more information on NHS 111 and other emergency services visit www.nhs.uk/111