Reception Opening Times

Ring for appointments between 8.45am – 12noon   &   4.00pm – 5.30pm       (8644 2727) 

Ring for Enquiry / Urgent matters 8.00am - 6.30pm       (8644 2727) 

We are now open on Saturday mornings between 9am and 11.

Pre-bookable Evening appointments for those who work during the day, 
                                                                     up until 7.30pm Monday – Friday.

Even though Children/AnteNatal Clinics run over lunch, reception is closed between 1 & 3.30pm.

Pre-Bookable Appointments below are then followed by 90mins of SameDay appointments, then any urgents. So, to be clear, the below table only relates to Pre-Bookable appointments.

In addition, ill people with urgent problems that suddenly crop up in the afternoon are seen between 5pm and 6pm by the On Call doctor.

APPOINTMENTS

We offer different types of appointments to meet the varying needs of our patients.  We encourage patients to see their own GP in order to maintain continuity.  If it is not possible to see your own GP because either they or you are not available on a particular day you will be offered an appointment with an alternative doctor if you wish.

Please remember an appointment is for one person and one problem – if you have lots of things to discuss you may be asked to book a further appointment. 

Routine Appointments
These are 10 minute appointments and can be pre-booked up to 6-8 weeks in advance to enable you to plan any routine checks or discuss non-urgent problems.  They are offered during the morning and afternoon each day.  

Same Day Appointments
Each doctor keeps some time free every morning for patients who fall ill on the day. You may call between 8.45am and 12 noon to request a same day appointment. 

This means you will always be able to see a doctor the same day.  If the problem cannot be completely sorted out or, needs further review you may have to book a follow up appointment for a later date. 

Urgent Problems
If you become ill after morning surgery has finished and require assistance urgently, the Duty or on-call doctor will be responsible for assessing your problem. The doctor may either, ask you to attend surgery between 5 and 6.30pm, deal with the problem on the telephone or if necessary send you to hospital.

The Duty Doctor has an evening ‘emergency’ surgery each day to deal with problems which cannot wait until the following day.  Appointments are short and are meant only for very urgent problems.  If the doctor feels there isn’t enough time to deal with the problem properly, then in your interests he/she will ask you to re-book with your own doctor. 

Getting the most out of the Appointment System
When ringing for an appointment please remember you can book by ringing, 020 8644 2727, between 8.45am - 12 noon and 4.00pm – 5.30pm.  The lines are busiest when they are first switched over.  We know from your feedback that it is frustrating to hear the engaged tone so please be patient and try a little later – we always have plenty of appointments everyday.  Wherever possible try to plan ahead for routine appointments so that you can be sure of a time and day that suits you best. 

Checking in
All patients will need to check in using the touch-screen or speak to the receptionist on arrival.  Please watch carefully for your name to be called on the red display screen. 

Missed Appointments
In our experience, it is a relatively small number of patients who are unashamed of repeatedly failing to turn up to appointments.  The computer logs unfilled appointments, and these patients will be de-registered for the benefit of the rest of our patients. If you cannot make your appointment, please ring 8644 2727 and let us know.  Then someone else can use your slot.

Home Visits

 If you genuinely cannot get to the surgery for medical reasons then please phone as early as possible to request the visit.  Please try to phone before 10.30am so that the doctors can plan and prioritise their visits.  The doctor will phone you back to assess your needs and to decide on what action needs to be taken. 

Please attend surgery if at all possible.  Patients can be examined more thoroughly at the surgery and the doctor can see 3 or 4 patients in the average time it takes to make a visit. 

Children can be brought up by car, cab or friends, to be examined quickly. Let reception know, and they will make sure we see the child soon if they are miserable/ vomiting/ in pain.

Even though they feel miserable and weak, it is safe after giving Calpol, to bring children with temperatures or a rash to the surgery. 

Older patients who are able to be taken shopping or to the hairdresser are usually expected to be brought to surgery by car.

Out-of-Hours

(between 6.30pm and 8.00am Monday-Friday, weekends & Bank Holidays)

If you are in urgent need of medical help or advice when the surgery is closed then you need to call 0845 603 1087.  All calls are answered by a controller and then passed to the appropriate service (NHS Direct, District Nurses, Community Mental Health Services, Social Services or an out of hours GP), for assessment.  If you need a doctor your call will be routed to Sumerdoc, a local service provided by local GPs.  

Details of your problem will be requested by a telephone operator and a doctor will then call you back.  The doctor may offer you advice on the phone or you may be asked to attend a local primary care centre.  If the doctor feels it is necessary, a home visit will be offered

All calls to the GP emergency service (and this surgery) may be recorded for your safety, and confidentiality is maintained at all times.  Details of your consultation will be sent to your own GP to assist in continuing care.  Information may be used anonymously to train doctors and for audit purposes to monitor the service and improve standards.  If you do not wish your information to be used for these purposes, please inform the telephone receptionist.