Introduction of a new GP appointment system
Following NHS England’s national policy and after discussion with our Patient Participation Group, we have introduced a new booking system for GP appointments.
This will ensure that all patients who wish to be seen within 2 weeks of requesting an appointment can do so.
Patients who feel they need to be seen urgently on the same day will initially be offered a telephone call with a GP and the GP will decide how best to handle the issue. This may be through offering a face-to-face appointment that day, directing to a more appropriate service or by managing the issue within the initial triage call.
Patients may also be offered our text triage service, whereby they will receive a simple text questionnaire. The patients’ responses will go directly to the G.P. team who will reply as appropriate.
Due to these changes, there is no requirement for the emergency duty list (‘sit and wait’ clinic) that previously operated from 12pm.
The booking system has not changed for non-urgent GP and nurse appointments which can be made in advance.
Changes to your personal details
Another reminder please to let us know if you change your personal details, such as address, mobile phone number etc. We were unable to contact some patients during the recent vaccination programme due to incorrect details being held on patients’ records.
Similarly, if you contact the surgery by email can we please ask that you include two identifiers (i.e. name, date of birth, address or NHS number) for identification purposes. We have several patients with the same or similar name and this procedure is essential to ensure the confidentiality of your medical record.
New gate at entrance
We have recently installed a new gate at the entrance of the car park.
This will be locked every evening and at weekends when the surgery is closed. There will still be pedestrian access to the surgery if you wish to drop in prescriptions etc.
May we take this opportunity to wish all our patients a very happy Christmas and best wishes for the New Year.
Dr, Adam Smith