Appointments

If you feel that your problem needs to be seen on the same day,  although this may not be with your usual doctor.

• phone us on 01388-817777, Monday to Friday 8 am to 6pm
• visit the surgery and speak with a receptionist, Monday to Friday 8 am to 6 pm 

When you get in touch, we’ll ask what you need help with (see Care Navigation below).

We will use the information you give us to choose the most suitable doctor, nurse or health professional to help you.

Added:  09/06/2025

To request a routine appointment:

• use our online system via the link at the top of this page
• phone us on 01388-817777, Monday to Friday 8 am to 6pm
• visit the surgery and speak with a receptionist, Monday to Friday 8 am to 6 pm
• use your NHS account (through the NHS website or NHS App 

When you get in touch, we’ll ask what you need help with (see Care Navigation below).

We will use the information you give us to choose the most suitable doctor, nurse or health professional to help you.

Added:  10/06/2025

The Practice releases some appointments which can be booked up to four weeks in advance using your SystmOne online account, the Airmid UK app or the NHS app on your mobile device or online.

These appointments will be released to online booking at the same time they are released to Reception for booking by phone or at Reception. 

Please note that appointments may be at either St Andrew's or Oxford Road.

When booking the appointment please enter a reason for the appointment as Reception may need to contact you to change your appointment if there is a more appropriate clinician to deal with your issue.

Do you need to see the doctor or nurse or just talk to them?

If you think that your problem can be dealt with by phone without face-to-face contact, please call 01388-817777 and ask for a telephone appointment.

If a doctor or nurse is not available when you call, the receptionist will ask you for:

• your full name, address and date of birth
• contact telephone number on which to call you back
• brief details of illness or reason for your call
• times when it will be convenient to call you back

The receptionist will then arrange for a clinician to call you back at a mutually convenient time.

If the clinician feels you need to be seen, they will arrange a surgery appointment or home visit with you.

Updated: 10/06/2025

Whilst we encourage our patients to come to the surgery, where we have the proper equipment and facilities available, we do appreciate this is not always possible.

Home visits on weekdays should be requested by telephoning the practice on 01388-817777 between 8 am and 10 am whenever possible.

Home visits use up our most valuable resource - time -and should only be requested when the patient is unfit to attend the surgery where we have better examination and treatment facilities.  If in doubt please ask to speak with the duty doctor.

When you request a home visit the Receptionist will ask you for:

• brief details to assess if the visit is urgent
• confirmation that the patient is housebound
• patients full name and date of birth
• patients home address and the address to be visited, if different
• contact telephone number

This information is required to help the doctor plan and prioritise the home visits and will be treated in confidence.  You will then be added to the triage list and the duty GP will ring you to assess your problem.

On weekends and bank holidays when we are closed you should phone NHS 111 or NHS online at www.111.nhs.uk

Reviewed: 13/06/2025

When you contact the Practice for an appointment you will speak to a Receptionist.  Our Receptionists have been specifically trained to provide “Care Navigation” locally which means we can improve access to appointments and can deal with your medical needs quickly and efficiently.

The receptionist will ask for a brief outline of why you’re contacting the Practice and will then be able to offer potential choices regarding appropriate services.  You may be provided with a choice in relation to an appropriate member of staff you can see within the Practice.  The choice may also involve an alternative service which can meet your needs for example:  community pharmacy, stopping smoking, Minor Eye Condition Service.

This is not clinical advice or triage.  It’s your choice, you do not have to accept the choice provided by the Receptionist and you can still request to see your GP if you wish.

Please be aware that if you do not accept the recommendation of the Receptionist or feel uncomfortable in giving a brief outline of why you’re contacting the Practice, the Receptionist is unable to book an appointment with a doctor.  They will ask the duty triage doctor to ring you to assess your requirements. 

Updated: 10/06/2025

If you are unable to keep your appointment, please let us know so that we can offer it to another patient.

To cancel your appointment:

• reply CANCEL to your appointment reminder text message
• using the GP online system via the link at the top of this page
• phone us on 01388-817777, Monday to Friday 8 am to 6 pm
• use your NHS account (through the NHS website or NHS App)

Reviewed:  12/06/2025

If your child is of school age, you will be able to obtain an appointment after school (during term time).

If your child is under five and you think their need is urgent, we will ensure that you have contact with a health care professional.

Updated: 09/06/2025

Standard appointments are for a maximum of 10 minutes.  Please let the receptionist know if you will require a double appointment.  Medicals or longer appointments will be by special arrangement.

If you have more than one problem to discuss, please tell the doctor this at the start of your appointment so that the most important problem can be dealt with first.  If it is not possible to deal with several complex problems during a single consultation you may be asked to make a further appointment(s) to deal with less pressing issues.

We do try and run appointments to time but you will appreciate that we have no way of knowing in advance what problems will be presented during a surgery.  Some problems do require immediate attention and may result in subsequent appointments running late.  Your understanding when this happens is appreciated.

Reviewed:  13/06/2025

You may choose to see any of the doctors or a practice nurse, subject to their availability - but see the tab above entitled Care Navigation. 

The receptionists will try to give you a convenient appointment with the clinician of your choice, but if unable to do so they will suggest an alternative time or another doctor or nurse who is available.  

Pre-bookable appointments are available with the doctor or nurse of your choice up to four weeks ahead.

Added:  17/06/2025

We do try and run appointments to time but you will appreciate that we have no way of knowing in advance what problems will be presented during a surgery. 

Some problems do require immediate attention and may result in subsequent appointments running late. 

Your understanding when this happens is appreciated.

Added: 08/07/2025