Appointments

Appointments to see the doctor can only be made with the receptionist, either by calling at the surgery or telephoning 0844 477 3350.

Please make a separate appointment for each person - delays are caused for everyone if two people are seen in one consultation.

Cancellations - it is essential that you telephone if you cannot keep your appointment. Even with short notice, we can usually allocate your appointment to someone else.

Appointments - are booked for 10 minutes and we will try to see you at the appointed time. However, some patients' problems take longer than others, so please be patient if there is a delay. If you feel you will need a longer appointment than usual, please let the receptionist know and we will try to make provision for this.

Urgent problems - although you will be able to see a doctor that same day, it will generally be with the doctor on call who may not be your usual doctor. The doctor on call will either speak to you at the time of your request or return your call and then arrange a further consultation as appropriate. The receptionists may ask you for some brief details about the complaint to assist the doctor in prioritising calls.

Home Visits

Please do not ask the doctor to make a home visit if you are able to come to the surgery.

If you are too ill to come to the surgery please telephone 0844 477 3350 before 10.30am
to request a home visit unless it is an emergency.

Please be prepared to give details of the patient's condition to the receptionist so that the doctor can assess the urgency of your call and help you in the most appropriate way.

Please remember that several patients can be seen in the practice in the time that it takes to make one home visit. There are also better facilities for examining and treating patients at the Health Centre.

Test Results

Please call between 2.30pm and 5.30pm to enquire about your test results as our reception staff will have more time to deal with your request between these times.

Note that the practice has a strict policy regarding confidentiality and data protection and we will only release test results to the person to whom they relate unless that person has given prior permission for the release of this data or they are not capable of understanding the results.

When you take your test you will be told how long it will be before the results are returned to the practice.

It is your responsibility to check your results and to make an appointment to discuss them with your doctor if your are advised to do so.

Emergencies during surgery hours - telephone 0844 477 3350

Between 8.30am and 6.00pm , urgent requests will be given prompt attention by the receptionists and the doctor will be informed. It will be necessary for the receptionist to ask some details regarding the condition of the patient so that the doctor can assess the urgency of the call.

When the surgery is closed - telephone 0844 477 3350

A recorded message will tell you how to contact the out of hours service and also give you the option of being transferred directly. The out of hours service is now commissioned by the Eastern Health & Social Services Board to provide a quality service outside normal working hours. There is always a doctor on call for EMERGENCIES but please remember that this service should be reserved for genuine EMERGENCIES ONLY.