Appointments

Urgent appointments

To request an urgent appointment for today or tomorrow (Monday to Friday) during opening times:

• phone us on 0118 902 8300

When you get in touch, we’ll ask what you need help with.

We will use your answers to choose the most suitable doctor, nurse or healthcare professional to help you.

Routine appointments

To request a routine appointment in advance during opening times:

• phone us on 0118 902 8300
• use your NHS account (through the NHS website or NHS App) or Patient Access to book an appointment, screening test or vaccination

When you get in touch, we’ll ask what you need help with.

We will use your answers to choose the most suitable doctor, nurse or healthcare professional to help you.

How to make an appointment?

When you book an appointment, a receptionist will ask you some questions regarding the reason for your appointment. This is to ensure that you are seen by the most appropriate member of our team to avoid unnecessary delays.

They can also decide whether a longer appointment would be more appropriate for you. A normal appointment with a GP is 10 minutes and this is to discuss 1 issue, this ensures that the doctor has sufficient time to obtain a history of the issue, make a diagnosis and recommend treatment or refer you to the appropriate secondary care team for further investigation.

If you need to see a GP for a non-urgent reason, you may book an appointment up to two weeks in advance. You may opt to be seen by any one of the GPs in the team. If you cannot keep an appointment, please inform the practice immediately, otherwise you will waste an appointment that someone else could benefit from.

Appointments are allocated by time, but this does not always mean that you will be seen at that time, since it is not possible to predict a patient’s medical needs.

Your appointment

However you choose to contact us, we may offer you a consultation:

• by phone
• face to face at the surgery
• on a video call
• by text or email

Appointments by phone, video call or by text or email can be more flexible and often means you get help sooner.

Cancelling or changing an appointment

To cancel your appointment:

• use your NHS account (through the NHS website or NHS App)
• use the GP online system: Patient Access
• phone us on 0118 902 8300 during opening times

If you need help when we are closed

If you need medical help now, use NHS 111 online or call 111.

NHS 111 online is for people aged 5 and over. Call 111 if you need help for a child under 5.

Call 999 in a medical or mental health emergency. This is when someone is seriously ill or injured and their life is at risk.

If you need help with your appointment

Please tell us:

• if there’s a specific doctor, nurse or other health professional you would prefer to respond
• if you would prefer to consult with the doctor or nurse by phone, face-to-face, by video call or by text or email
• if you need an interpreter
• if you have any other access or communication needs

Home visits

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. In this respect, if you do need a home visit, you can help us by calling reception before 11am.

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. Please bear this in mind and be prepared to provide suitable details to enable the doctor to schedule house calls. Lack of transport in itself is not a reason for a home visit

You can also 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.

Related information

Health A to Z

Sick notes

Test results