How to manage your appointments

Wherever possible, for routine appointment requests, please use our online options.  Doing so will assist us by keeping our phone lines free for those who need urgent medical help or cannot access online sources of information.

As a Practice, we offer telephone and face-to-face consultations as necessary for same-day and pre-booked appointments.  Wherever possible, we seek to minimise the risk to our patients and staff by reducing the need for patients to visit the Surgery.

All of our clinicians can help you deal with acute and long-term health problems and illnesses and may involve advice on how you can help yourself.  Sometimes it will require treatment in the Surgery, prescribing medication or referral to other local health care services may be necessary.

Patients may see the doctor of their choice, and it is usually best to see the same doctor for ongoing and long-term health conditions.  However, when you need to see a doctor urgently, it may not always be possible to see your usual doctor.

While we make every effort to keep appointment times, there may be occasions when they overrun.

We offer the ability for patients to book appointments online, which means you can book an appointment 24/7 without having to phone the surgery.  

Patients who have registered to use the SystmOnline Patient Access system can book routine GP appointments online using their SystmOnline login, which is the same login details as the online repeat prescription requests.

Scroll down to click on the image below or follow this link to access your SystmOnline account here>>

If you don’t have a SystmOnline login, please follow this link to our Do It Online page to find out how to register>>

If you don't have a SystmOnline account, cannot complete an eConsult or think you may have difficulty with an online consultation, don't worry:   our reception team will happily assist you or complete the process on your behalf.  Please call Reception directly on 01202 897989 for our Corbin Avenue surgery or 01202 874302 for our Glenmoor Road branch.  

Our receptionists are here to help you: they are fully trained in Care Navigation and will ask you for brief details of your condition when you telephone. This is so that they can record these details to inform the clinician who will contact you.  This approach ensures that we can assist you as speedily and professionally as possible. It also ensures that you are directed to the correct clinician.

Please note that all of the telephone calls with the surgery are recorded for monitoring and training purposes.

Every appointment you don't cancel means we have lost the opportunity to help someone who needed it.  If you are not able to attend your appointment please let us know in time so that the time can be used for someone else. If you are more than 15 minutes late for an appointment you may be asked to re-book.

Please contact us as soon as you know you cannot attend your appointment. If your appointment has been arranged for a time within the next 24 hours, please call Reception directly on 01202 897989 for our Corbin Avenue surgery or 01202 874302 for our Glenmoor Road branch.  

If your appointment has been set for more than 24 hours in advance (excluding weekends and public holidays), you can cancel an appointment quickly and easily using our online. Follow this link to our online appointment cancellation form:>>

PLEASE ONLY USE OUR ONLINE CANCELLATION FORM FOR APPOINTMENTS SET FOR MORE THAN 24 HOURS IN ADVANCE.

You can register to receive information by text message on your phone regarding appointments and health care. 

If you wish to register for this messaging service please complete and submit our Communications Consent form by following this link>>

We try to see urgent cases on the same day, otherwise you will be offered the first available appointment.

You can speak to a Doctor on the telephone, but unless it is an emergency, the receptionist taking your call may ask you to call back when the Doctor is not with a patient, and preferably at the end of surgery. The Receptionist will tell you the best time to call.

• Please make one appointment for each member of the family who needs to be seen. A maximum of three appointments is permitted at any one time, including for yourself. If you require additional appointments for family members these must be arranged at another time.
• We try to keep to time but please be patient if someone before you takes longer than planned
• Appointments are normally ten minute slots, so if you have a complicated problem, or more than one problem, please ask for a longer appointment
• It is Practice Policy to allow patients to choose whichever Doctor they wish to attend in the Practice.

Here are some tips to make the most of your appointment.

Talk about the most important thing first - It is best to talk about the most important problem first, even if it is the most embarrassing or worrying, Write everything down before hand if necessary.

Is this your first visit to the Practice?– Please bring a list of medication you are currently taking.

If you don’t understand, don’t be afraid to ask again – The Doctor can explain what has been said or any words you did not understand.

Ask a friend or family member to come with you - only if you would like.

Make sure you know what happens next - You may be asked to book a follow up appointment, be referred to a Consultant or require to attend for further tests.  Make sure you know if you need to do anything and write it down if necessary.

If you are late -  you may not been seen. Please allow plenty of time when travelling to the Practice, and if driving for parking your car.

Zero tolerance – Please be respectful to other patients and staff when attending the Practice. Disruptive or abusive behaviour will not be tolerated.

Patients should see their Dentist for problems with teeth or gums.

If you are not registered with a Dentist and have a dental emergency (pain, swelling, trauma or bleeding) please refer to the NHS guidance How to contact a Dentist>>.