Appointments

We offer a variety of types of appointments at different times of the year. We have a same day nurse/doctor clinic, nurse practitioner clinics, appointments with nurses and GP appointments.
NHS targets currently set out that all patients will be able to see a primary care professional within 24 hours and a GP within 48 hours.
To ensure we can do this we run nurse/doctor clinics for people who want to be seen on the same day. The patient is seen by the nurse initially who, in 65% of cases, can deal with the problem herself, and if she cannot she refers the patient on to the GP.

You can book an appointment with a GP or the nurse practitioner separately. We do not book very far in advance with the GP because we find that more people forget to turn up, thus wasting valuable appointments.

You can also view, book or cancel GP appointments booked online through the practice website link See the EMIS Access page for further details.

Please remember we offer some same day appointments with doctors, some within 48 hours and some in advance by up to 4 weeks, but each doctor can only work so many hours in a day. You may wish to go to the King street Practice or the University Practice to see the doctor of choice if it is quicker.

All doctors and nurses have to work from both sites so this cuts down the number of appointments at each one. We do this to be fair to everyone.

Please be prepared to give the receptionist some details of your illness if you  are asking for an appointment so she can direct you to the quickest and most appropriate clinician and appointment. The receptionist are highly skilled and trained and are bound by the Practice and NHS code of confidentiality. You can of course refuse to do so if you prefer.

Home Visits

The Doctors will visit the housebound, the very elderly and terminally ill patients at home if there is a medical need for a home visit.  Please tell the surgery as soon as possible that day if you think a home visit is needed, ideally before 10.30am. The Doctor will then decide where it is best to see you.  For instance babies and children with fever, diarrhoea, vomiting, earache or a rash should be brought to the surgery and seen quickly.  Adults with similar illnesses can also be seen quicker at the surgery.

Home visits will be made only on medical grounds and not on social grounds (such as lack of transport).  Please remember 6 patients can be seen in the surgery in the time it takes to do 1 home visit.

Telephone Advice

All the Doctors are willing to speak to patients over the telephone.  Please ring the surgery if you need telephone advice and the receptionist will book you in to a “telephone advice appointment”. You will be advised by the receptionist when the Doctor will call you back. We have found that these are very useful and popular ways of consulting your GP without having to make an appointment. The receptionists have a list of things that are suitable for a telephone consultation, so please be guided by them.

Opening Times

Opening Hours: Monday to Friday 8am – 6.30pm

The Surgeries are closed outside these hours (and on bank holidays).  However, for emergency problems you can telephone BAYCALL (the out-of-hours emergency service) on 0845 0524999.

Both surgeries are usually closed Wednesdays between midday and 1pm for staff training.