Appointments

The practice can be contacted from 08:00 to 18.30 Monday to Friday for emergencies and general enquiries.

The appointment lines open from 08:15 till 12.00 and 14.00 till 18.00. Please note that the telephone is always busy in the morning - contact us in the afternoon if possible.

• We offer a range of appointments throughout the day including urgent appointments for the same day, telephone consultations and routine appointments which can be booked up to six weeks in advance. When calling the appointment line, please choose from the following options:
• Option 1 : Routine : Appointments with a doctor or nurse.  For routine appointments you will be offered the first available appointment with the doctor/nurse of your choice, or another doctor/nurse if this is not convenient.  Please try, when possible to see the sam doctor for a particular problem.
• Option 2 : MEDICAL EMERGENCY : connects you directly to the EMERGENCY desk where urgent advice or -assistance will be arranged.
• Option 3:  Urgent same day appointment or medical advise - You will be connected to triage reception
• Option 4: For Enquires

Before making an appointment, please consider whether you need to see a doctor, whether an appointment with a nurse may be suitable, or whether your problem may be sorted via a telephone consultation.

Appointments can be made by telephone or in person at either surgery. A single appointment is for 10 minutes. Should you wish to have a longer consultation, please ask the receptionist when making the appointment as this will help avoid delays for other patients.

You may be accompanied by a relative or a friend at any consultation, but please introduce them to your doctor at the beginning of the consultation. If you would like a chaperone to be present during any intimate examination, please ask the clinician before the examination commences.

If you cannot keep your appointment, please let us know so that we can offer it to another patient.

Practice Nurses

Our practice nurses are available for routine appointments throughout the day and these can be booked by telephoning the appointment line.

Telephone Consultations

If you feel your problem might be resolved by a telephone call, an appointment time will be given and the doctor will ring you back.

Emergencies

If there is a medical emergency at home that is life-threatening, please call an ambulance by telephoning 999. For other emergencies please telephone the surgery option 2 and speak to a receptionist. A doctor will contact you to assess the problem and the best way forward.

Home Visits

Doctors may visit patients who are truly housebound. Requests can be made by telephoning the surgery between 08:00 and 18:30. We ask that requests for non-urgent emergency home visits are made before 10:00.

Please call 023 80252131 option 4  to talk to a receptionist. You will be asked for some medical information at this time, which will help us to prioritise the visit.

You may only request a home visit if you are housebound or are too ill to visit the practice. Your GP will only visit you at home if they think that your medical condition requires it and will also decide how urgently a visit is needed.

You can be visited at home by a community nurse if you are referred by your GP. You should also be visited at home by a health visitor if you have recently had a baby or if you are newly registered with a GP and have a child under five years.

Our Telephone System

Please Telephone: 023 80252131 for both surgeries and then choose:

• Option 1 for routine appointments
• Option 2 for medical emergencies
• Option 3 for same day appointments or medical advise
• Option 4 for enquiries

Training

Registrars/FY Doctors

Being a proactive training practice, we often have registrars and foundation doctors working with our team. Sometimes registered doctors who have had extensive hospital experience and who hope to enter general practice will be invited to join the practice for six months or a year to gain insight into the problems with which we deal. The receptionist will tell you who they are when you book an appointment with them. They are fully trained, capable doctors and under our supervision. Please accept them as one of us.

Medical/Nursing Students

We often have students with us, both medical and nursing. A student may be present when you book and/or when you attend for your appointment (if you are in agreement). We occasionally take part in research projects and you may be invited to participate. You do not have to participate in any medical research or training - please tell us if you do not wish to do so.