Appointments

Important - Please note that at all times during the working day, medical emergencies always take priority over fixed appointments. 

The surgery operates a prebook able routine appointments system also on the day appointments. In addition, there are urgent on the day appointment slots available. You can also do eConsults and we will book the appointment for you.

Generally, 10 minutes is allocated for each appointment period.  Nurses' appointments may be longer. For the mutual benefit of patients and doctors, every effort is made to run to the appointed times. However, should you feel that you require a longer appointment, please tell the receptionist who do their best to accommodate you. 

Sometimes, and for reasons beyond our control, we cannot absolutely guarantee punctuality. 

We apologise in advance for any inconvenience caused. 

Please note that an allocated appointment is for one patient only. Please do not be offended if your request to address another person's problems is refused. 

If you find that you are unable to keep an appointment, please inform reception in good time. Cancelling appointments allows the best use of the Drs/Nurses time and increases the availability appointments for other patients. 

Our aim is that you will see any member of the primary health care team within 24 hours and a doctor within 48 hours of your request for an appointment.  This is in line with N.H.S. targets for access to primary care directives. 

Whilst mindful of your wishes to see a particular Dr/Nurse, this may not always be possible at a time convenient both to patient and the clinician. Unless you are prepared to accept an alternative arrangement, there may be a wait to see a preferred clinician.  

If you experience problems with the Practice appointment system, please contact the Practice Manager.

Again, we wish to apologise in advance for any inconvenience caused.

Follow Up Appointments 

Patients who suffer from chronic or a longer-term illness are encouraged to attend the surgery on a regular basis.  We recommend intervals of at least 6 or 12 months depending on your illness and its severity.  Please ask the Health Professional who you normally see to advise you of the time intervals for your appointments.  If problems arise between specific visits, please contact a receptionist as soon as possible. 

If you are unable to keep a pre-booked appointment please ensure that you phone the Practice well in advance to cancel your appointment. 

The Practice is experiencing a rise in the number of patients who do not attend for their pre-booked appointments.  In these circumstances those patients who do not contact the surgery to cancel an appointment and do not attend for their appointments, three times in any year, may be removed from the Practice list.  It is with regret that this action needs to be taken but it is in the interests of all patients who require appointments.

Online ordering of prescriptions 

• Online ordering - Please ask at Reception for your unique username and password to access this system.  Please remember to bring a form of identification as evidence of identity, which must contain a photograph.  Acceptable documents include passports, photo driving licences. 

Telephone Appointments/Advice 

Doctors and Nurses are available from 9.00am for telephone appointments and advice.

Receptionists cannot put calls directly through to clinicians during clinics unless the situation requires emergency attention.  

Home Visits

Home visits should be seen as a privilege and not an entitlement. Except for emergencies, requests for visits should be considered carefully before contacting the surgery.

Housebound patients and others with exceptional circumstances should contact the surgery before 10.30am to request a home visit.

The clinician involved may contact you by telephone to discuss the nature of your problem before arranging the visit. The home visits are done by BB health care. 

Please note that lack of transport cannot be accepted as a reason for a home visit, nor does the Practice provide transport services

Test Results

Please call between 11am and 3.30pm to enquire about your test results  

The reception staff will have more time to deal with your request between these times.

Note that the practice has a strict policy regarding confidentiality and data protection and we will only release test results to the person to whom they relate unless that person has given prior permission for the release of this data or they are not capable of understanding the results.

When you have your test, you will be told how long it will be before the results are returned to the practice.

It is your responsibility to check your test results and to make an appointment to discuss them with your doctor if your are advised to do so.

Out-of-hours GP services are changing

We want to provide the right services at a time which is convenient for you. We’ve listened to feedback from people in our local area, and we are making changes to our out-of-hours appointments to deliver better services for you.

The new way of delivering out-of-hours appointments will give you:

· Access to more healthcare professionals. This new service will be delivered by professionals including GPs, Nurses, Health Care Assistants, Clinical Pharmacists, Physician Associates and Physiotherapists.

· More choice about the type of appointment you want. These include a mixture of in-person face-to-face appointments, and remote appointments like telephone, video, or online appointments.

· Make it more convenient for you to travel to out-of-hours appointments. These appointments are being planned and delivered locally, so it is likely they will available closer to your home.

From Saturday 1 October 2022, out-of-hours appointments will be available from 6.30pm to 8pm on weekdays, and from 9am to 5pm on Saturdays.

When we asked local people what you wanted from these appointments you told us you would like appointments outside the working hours 8:00 -18:30 and that it would be great to have access to extra Healthcare professionals including GPs, Nurses, Health Care Assistants, Clinical Pharmacists, Physician Associates and Physiotherapists. These appointments will be available to help address the demand for same day appointments. In response we have listened to and actioned your requests.

Out-of-hours appointments were previously planned by Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) on behalf of many GP practices in a bigger area. From Saturday 1^st October 2022, this is now being planned and delivered locally by Primary Care Networks (PCNs).

We are working together with other GP practices in our local area as part of the Central Basildon Primary Care Network. You can find out more about Central Basildon Primary Care Network on our PCN website at https://www.centralbasildonpcn.nhs.uk

An out-of-hours appointment might not be at your regular GP surgery. When you book an appointment, you will be told where the appointment will be.

These appointments will not be available as walk-in appointments. You will need to book them in advance

To book an out-of-hours appointment, you should contact your regular GP practice in the usual way. They will advise you on the appointments which are available, and which healthcare professional is the right person to help you.

If you need medical help now but it's not an emergency, you can also go to 111 online or call 111.