Booking an Appointment
We recognise it is appropriate for some patients to forward plan their appointment and the Practice runs a system which enables patients to book a routine appointment two weeks in advance. Appointments can be booked in advance by telephoning the Surgery, by calling at reception or via EMIS access if you have a password. (see receptionist with photo ID to obtain your password)
Please remember that the telephones are very busy before 10 a.m. so it is best to ring after this time if your enquiry is not urgent. The telephones are switched to cover emergencies only between 12 noon and 2 p.m. Please be patient if your call is not answered immediately as we operate a telephone queuing system and your call will be taken as soon as possible. Whilst your call is in the queuing system you will continue to hear the ringing tone until your call is answered. Unfortunately our telephone system does not have the facility to enable us to let you know that your call is in a queue.
Patients telephoning with a medical problem which requires attention that same day will be referred to our triage system. You will normally be offered an appointment the same day with the duty doctor (or for some specific medical conditions the duty nurse). On occasions when the duty doctor is very busy, he or she may ring you to discuss the best possible way of sorting out your problem. Where appropriate this may be by giving you advice over the telephone rather than inviting you to attend the surgery.
Please remember that each routine appointment is for one patient only and is 10 minutes long. If you have several problems, or a problem of a complex nature, you may need to book a double appointment or make a further appointment to discuss them. This avoids surgeries running late and allows the clinician to address your problem(s) more appropriately and thoroughly. If you feel you may need a longer appointment, please mention this to the receptionist when booking the appointment. We have been commented about this in our latest 'Patient Satisfaction Survey'. Please note while you are waiting in the waiting room, if you think you do not feel well, inform the receptionists; please let the receptionists know if you think you have a problem of contagious nature to place you in a separate waiting area/room.
It is important that you are punctual for your appointment. If you no longer require the appointment please cancel it as soon as possible in advance so that it can be offered to someone else.
A relative or a friend is welcome to accompany you to your consultation with the doctor if you feel this would be helpful.
You have the right to express a preference as to which doctor you would like to see and we will always try to comply with such a request in the case of routine appointments. Please make it clear to the receptionist when booking your appointment if you wish to see a particular doctor. However, due to holidays, study leave etc. it may not always be possible to book an appointment with the doctor you ask for unless you are able to wait for your consultation.
Likewise, the doctors take it in turns to be the duty triage doctor and therefore we cannot guarantee that you will speak to or see your preferred doctor if you are referred to a doctor via our triage system.
Telephone Triage
The aim of the telephone triage system is to provide extra time for patients who need to be seen in the surgery.
Patients telephoning with a medical problem which requires attention that same day will be referred to our triage system. You will normally be offered an appointment the same day with the duty doctor (or for some specific medical conditions the duty nurse). On occasions when the duty doctor is very busy, rather than automatically inviting you to attend the surgery he or she may ring you to discuss the best possible way of sorting out your problem. Where appropriate this may be by giving you advice over the telephone rather than inviting you to visit the surgery. (Please remember that depending on the volume of calls received during the triage session the doctor may not be able to return your call until much later that morning or afternoon.) However, if the doctor feels you would benefit from a consultation you will be invited to attend the surgery that same day.
Please note that “triage” calls are logged in the order they are received by the surgery and appointments offered on a first come first served basis. Likewise, if you are advised the doctor will call you back, this will be done in accordance with the order that calls were originally received. It is therefore important that you specify if your condition is particularly urgent when the Receptionist will seek the advice of the duty doctor as to the priority that you should be given.
Please let the receptionist know if you are calling on behalf of someone else as the doctor will ask to speak to the patient. Please also indicate if you are telephoning from work as, for reasons of confidentiality, the doctor will not leave a recorded message if they call and you are not available.
How to Speak to a Doctor by Telephone
The practice has a system for providing an opportunity for patients to talk to a doctor on the telephone during the working day.
If you need to speak to a doctor urgently that day, then the receptionist will take your name, contact details and some information regarding the enquiry. You will be added to the triage screen and the duty doctor will telephone you later that morning or afternoon.
If you would like to speak to a particular doctor about a routine matter then the receptionist will make you a telephone consultation appointment for you to be called on a specific time and day. These appointments are made in the same way as routine surgery appointments.
