Appointment System
The receptionists are here to help you and to direct you to the most appropriate healthcare professional. This may be a GP, a nurse practitioner, a healthcare assistant, or perhaps the health visitor. The receptionist may need to ask you to explain in general terms the nature of your problem in order to help you.
GP Appointments
The demand for GP appointments is increasing, and in an effort to ease the pressure and improve access for patients we now offer a same day telephone call with a doctor to all patients who feel their medical condition cannot wait until the next available pre-bookable appointment. This allows the doctor to assess your medical needs, arrange further tests or book you an appointment which may be on the same day if your medical condition is urgent. This system allows doctors to prioritise their workload and ensure patients who need to be seen more urgently are seen. For this reason the receptionist will ask you the nature of your problem to help the doctor; please be assured the receptionists are not making decisions about your care. If however, you prefer not to discuss this with the receptionist, please just inform them politely and they will be happy to book you the appointment/telephone consultation in the normal manner.
From your feedback we understand that you prefer to see your usual doctor and it is also better for your care. This may mean waiting a little longer for a routine appointment if your medical condition is not urgent. A proportion of our appointments and telephone consultations are pre bookable up to four weeks in advance for follow up and non-urgent problems. Doctors’ appointments are for 10 minutes, if you feel you will need longer or have more than one problem please ask the receptionist to book you a double appointment.
If you have booked a telephone consultation the doctor will try and phone you within one hour of the appointed time and we ask that you are available to take your call back within that timeframe. There will be occasions when the doctor is unable to call you within this timeframe due to the unpredictable nature of their workload, however, if you have not received a call back within two hours please do contact the surgery again.
Nurse Practitioner
Our nurse practitioner is available for adults and children with illnesses such as: chest infections, tonsillitis, ear infections, sinus problems, backache, conjunctivitis, hay fever, eczema and urinary problems. If you are not sure if your problem can be dealt with by the nurse practitioner, the receptionist will be able to advise you. When you see the nurse practitioner, if she needs further advice from a doctor there is always one available at the time you see the nurse practitioner. Clinics are held throughout the week. Again some of these appointments are pre-bookable, and if any follow-up is required the nurse practitioner will arrange this for you at the time.
Practice Nurse Team
Our practice nurse team operate a pre-bookable appointment system, and our receptionists are able to arrange appointments for you. Nurse-led disease management clinics operate for diabetes, respiratory problems, hypertension and heart disease. These clinics are supervised by the doctor who is available when necessary. Telephone consultations are available by contacting our receptionists.
Telephone Consultation
If you have booked a telephone consultation the doctor will ring between either 8:30am and 12:30pm or 2:00pm and 4:00pm. We ask that you are available to take your call back within that timeframe. There will be occasions when the doctor is unable to call you within this timeframe due to the unpredictable nature of their workload, however, if you have not received a call back within two hours please do contact the surgery again.
If you need help when we are closed
- Use NHS 111 online (111.nhs.uk) or call 111. 111 online is for people aged 5 and over. Call 111 if you need help for a child under 5.
- Out of hours information
- If it’s a life-threatening emergency call 999.
Cancelling an appointment
Use our online form to notify us if you need to cancel your GP appointment so that we can allocate the time to another patient. Please give as much notice as possible when cancelling appointments online.
If your appointment is today, please telephone the surgery on 01626 832666 or 01626 852379.
Evening Appointments
Every week on Monday and Tuesday , Riverside Surgery opens its doors from 6pm to 8pm as part of our 'Enhanced Access' service.
Towerhouse surgery stays open Monday and Tuesday from 6pm to 8pm every 3rd week.
Weekend Appointments
In addition to our evening appointments, there will be weekend appointments available at Albany surgery. Patients can see a Health Care Assistant, Practice Nurse, or GP. This service is for pre-booked routine work and is not for acute, urgent or walk-in situations. For any urgent or acute problem, you should continue to contact 111 for help and advice.
Times for weekend appointments:
- Saturdays: between 8am and 6pm
- Sundays: between 8am and 1pm
Consent to share your medical records
The Clinician you see will require access to your medical history in your records. When you book your appointment, you will be asked to consent to the sharing of your medical records. When you give consent, the only person who will be able to see your records is the Clinician at your appointment. Your consent will be valid for just 28 days from your appointment date.
If you do not wish to share your medical records, then unfortunately the weekday and weekend appointment service will not be suitable for you.
Try the NHS App
You can now use the NHS App, a simple and secure way to access a range of NHS services and your GP account on your smartphone or tablet.
You can use the NHS App to check your symptoms and get instant advice, order repeat prescriptions, view your GP medical record, access your Covid vaccination status and more.
If you already use online access you can continue to use it. You can use the NHS App as well.
For more information go to www.nhs.uk/nhsapp
Home Visits
If you need a doctor to visit you at home, because you are too unwell to attend the surgery, please telephone the surgery before 10.30am when possible and give the medical receptionist as much detail as you can. Often full examinations and tests cannot be undertaken at home and therefore it is helpful if you attend the surgery whenever possible. If you require a home visit urgently contact the surgery and, if necessary, speak to a doctor regarding the problem.