Appointments

Urgent appointments

For urgent appointments and home visits you may not be able to see the doctor of your choice. The Practice operates a pre-bookable and book on the day appointments system. The receptionist will pre-book an appointment for routine issues where possible with the clinician of your choice and a time which can be planned for.

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

• use our appointment request form, Monday to Friday from 7am to 4pm. We will respond within 4 hours during opening times
• phone us on 01543 435390, Monday to Friday from 8am to 6.30pm
• visit the surgery and speak with a receptionist, Monday to Friday from 8am to 6:30pm
• using the GP online system – Patient Access

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

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

Routine appointments

Appointments For acute illness we can generally offer an appointment on the day with a GP or our Nurse Practitioner. We may also offer an appointment at the Cannock Network, which runs out of GP suite at Cannock hospital and can offer out of hours and weekend appointments. We also offer advice on other services such as Pharmacy First and MECS (Minor Eye Condition Service). Our receptionists will ask for some information about the illness in order to establish a suitable appointment slot to offer. All receptionists have training in confidentiality, please help us to help you. The doctors at the practice do not wish you to be offended or upset by this as the receptionists are trying to do their best to help you.

To request a routine appointment in the next 7 days:

• using the GP online system – Patient Access
• phone us on 01543 435390, Monday to Friday from 8am to 6.30pm
• visit the surgery and speak with a receptionist, Monday to Friday from 8am to 6:30pm
• use your NHS account (through the NHS website or NHS App) to book a screening test or vaccination

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

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

Online Appointments

This facility makes a proportion of our appointments available for booking online. If you cannot find a suitable appointment please contact the surgery by telephone and speak with a receptionist.

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.

Practice Pharmacist

Our Practice Pharmacist can deal with medication queries and medication reviews. You may therefore be offered an appointment to see our Practice Pharmacist if this is appropriate.

Consultations are by appointment and can be booked in person at reception or over the telephone. We aim to see patients within 30 minutes of the appointment time but if the wait is to be longer you will be informed of the reason for the delay. Please be punctual. The practice is suitably equipped to accommodate patients with disabilities. There are allocated parking spaces at the front of the surgery, and there is wheelchair access into the surgery. We have disabled toilets and an induction loop in reception for those patients that are hard of hearing.

For acute illness we can generally offer an appointment on the day with a GP or our Nurse Practitioner. We may also offer an appointment at the Cannock Network which runs out of GP suite at Cannock hospital and can offer out of hours and weekend appointments.

Telephone Advice It is possible to speak to a doctor or practice nurse on the telephone. You will need to leave your name, a brief summary and your contact details with the receptionists who will pass your message on to the doctor or practice nurse who will ring you back.

Practice Nurses

In a number of cases it might be worth considering an appointment with a practice nurse rather than a doctor. Practice nurses are qualified to deal with many ailments and you may be seen more quickly.

Cancelling or changing an appointment

If you cannot attend an appointment for any reason please inform us as soon as possible in order for us to give the slot to someone else.

To cancel your appointment:

• use your NHS account (through the NHS website or NHS App)
• using the GP online system – Patient Access
• phone us on 01543 435390, Monday to Friday from 8am to 6.30pm
• reply CANCEL to your appointment reminder text message

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 10:00.

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

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.