APPOINTMENTS

Appointment System

Over recent years, all GP practices have seen a a year on year increase in demand for appointments due to care moving out of hospitals, people living longer and more complex care for chronic conditions.   It is therefore important not to waste appointments but frustratingly, we have seen an increase in patients not attending appointments they have booked.

Please help us help you by reading about our appointment system below: 

ROUTINE APPOINTMENTS

The quickest way to book an appointment is via the NHS app or on line https://www.nhsapp.service.nhs.uk/login. Please see the tab above entitled ' Online services'.

If you do not have an NHS account you can register on line and do not need to involve the GP.

Appointments are released at 8am so best to be on line then. 

Alternatively call reception at 8 AM if you are able to do so. A lot of  our GP appointments will be available to be booked on the day but some can be pre-booked up to 4 weeks ahead.  

You can still pre-book a telephone call consultation. This is to save you having to come into the surgery when a telephone call is appropriate.  This can help to improve access to a doctor of your choice for continuity.

Please note that all appointments are for 10 minutes duration. If you want your concerns to be dealt with thoroughly, try to limit each consultation to one problem. If you feel that your problem may take longer please alert the receptionist so that a longer slot can be booked.

Therefore, when you ring up to make a routine appointment you will be offered the choice of an appointment at the surgery or a telephone consultation.

URGENT APPOINTMENTS

If you are unwell or have an urgent medical problem which needs to be dealt with on the same day, there is a morning triage surgery and afternoon duty clinician. They will be based at the main Barnard branch. Due to limited urgent appointment  availability please do not request one for routine follow up, chronic problem  management or routine referrals, as this will prevent others with more urgent need getting an appointment.

Call the reception team from 8am on the day you need to be seen. The receptionist will take your telephone number and brief details of the problem, so that we can triage the urgency of the call.

Each morning one doctor does a triage surgery.  Please be aware that this surgery can become very busy, it may therefore be some time before you are called back, so please give a contact number where you will be available until early afternoon.

The GP will then return your call and may  offer advice, which can include self management, a prescription or to attend hospital. If the doctor feels that you do need to be seen, they will arrange this for you. You may be invited to book a routine review if the problem is deemed non urgent.

  EXTENDED OPENING

LATE APPOINTMENTS ON THURSDAY EVENING AND SATURDAY MORNING WILL REMAIN AS THEY ARE NOW PRE-BOOKABLE ONLY.

They are primarily aimed at those patients who have difficulty attending appointments during our normal opening hours.

HOW TO SEE A NURSE

Telephone or come to reception to make an appointment with  one of our Practice Nurses.

Practice Nurses

For some conditions, it might be worth considering an appointment with a practice nurse rather than a doctor. Practice nurses are qualified to deal with many conditions and are an integral part of the chronic disease management team.  Speak to reception if you are unsure if your problem is suitable.

If you require a District Nurse to attend, the initial referral will be by a Doctor/ or Practice Nurse 

HELPING US TO HELP YOU

If you arrive more than TEN minutes late for an appointment, you may be asked to make another appointment - unless it is an emergency.

Please cancel any appointments you are unable to attend, whether at the Surgery or a Hospital.

DID NOT ATTENDS (DNA's)

Many patients do not keep their booked appointments. See Latest News page for recent months' number of DNA's

 Please be considerate, if you are unable to keep an appointment then please inform us so that we can use that appointment for someone else.