Contact us with Accurx
You can contact a doctor, nurse or other healthcare professional online using a website called Accurx.
Urgent appointments
Surgery telephone lines are open from 8am to book on the day appointments. These are scheduled appointments for morning and afternoon clinics. These are limited appointments that cannot be pre booked as they are reserved for those that need them urgently on the day.
When telephoning the surgery it is sometimes difficult to get through. This is due to high demand during busy periods so please understand your call will be answered as soon as possible.
To request an urgent appointment for today or tomorrow (Monday to Friday) during opening times:
- phone us on 01255 688884
When you get in touch, we’ll ask what you need help with.
We will use your answers to choose the most suitable doctor, nurse or healthcare professional to help you.
Routine appointments
Pre bookable appointments are available. However please bare in mind these are also very limited and are for routine purposes only.
Nurses appointments are by appointment only, they are all pre bookable and can be booked in advance at any time. (However as they are pre bookable we recommend to book as soon as possible to ensure availability of the time and date desired).
To request a routine appointment in advance during opening times:
- phone us on 01255 688884
- use your NHS account (through the NHS website or NHS App) or SystmOnline to book an appointment, screening test or vaccination
When you get in touch, we’ll ask what you need help with.
We will use your answers to choose the most suitable doctor, nurse or healthcare professional to help you.
Enhanced access
The enhanced access service offers patients appointment times on the evenings and Saturdays.
If you would like an evening or Saturday appointment, please request this when you contact your practice. Details of your appointment, including the location of your appointment (if booked during enhanced access hours) will be given by reception at the time of booking.
As part of this service, appointments will be available between:
- 6:30pm and 8pm, Monday to Friday
- 9am to 5pm, Saturdays
Workers ‘Thursday evening’ clinic appointments
If you work or commute this gives you the ability to book an appointment in advance. We hold a clinic from 6:30pm to 7:30pm each Thursday at the main site and Tuesday evening at the branch site. These are pre bookable appointments only.
Your appointment
However you choose to contact us, we may offer you a consultation:
- by phone
- face to face at the surgery
- on a video call
- by text or email
Appointments by phone, video call or by text or email can be more flexible and often means you get help sooner.
Cancelling or changing an appointment
To cancel your appointment:
- use your NHS account (through the NHS website or NHS App)
- use the GP online system: SystmOnline
- phone us on 01255 688884 during opening times
If you need help when we are closed
If you need medical help now, use NHS 111 online or call 111.
NHS 111 online is for people aged 5 and over. Call 111 if you need help for a child under 5.
Call 999 in a medical or mental health emergency. This is when someone is seriously ill or injured and their life is at risk.
If you need help with your appointment
Please tell us:
- if there’s a specific doctor, nurse or other health professional you would prefer to respond
- if you would prefer to consult with the doctor or nurse by phone, face-to-face, by video call or by text or email
- if you need an interpreter
- if you have any other access or communication needs
Home visits
Patients who are genuinely too ill or disabled enough to be housebound can be seen at home by the GP’s or nurses. Most medical problems are dealt with more effectively in the clinical setting of a well equipped surgery. If you require a home visit please phone the surgery between 9:30am and 11:30am.
All visit requests are to be assessed by the doctors.
A doctor may telephone you after morning surgery to assess your condition before arranging to visit you.
When is a home visit appropriate?
Many patients believe there is an automatic right to a home visit from a GP between 8am and 6:30pm, but this is not the case.
Doctors will always encourage people to come into the surgery because this is where the best care can be provided. Specialist equipment is there, tests can be carried out more easily and drugs issued if necessary.
GPs tend to visit a patient at home when:
- the patient is confined due to illness or disability
- urgent treatment can be given more quickly by visiting
The one thing guaranteed to damage a doctor-patient relationship is to ask for a home visit when it’s not medically necessary and then be out when the doctor arrives at your home.
In the time it takes to see one person at home, your GP can see between two and four patients at the surgery.
For this reason, if you request a home visit, your GP may call you back to find out more about your problem before deciding to come out.