Appointments Explained
The practice would like to take this opportunity to confirm the details of how the appointment system works, and the various appointment types. As there are many appointment types detailed below, this also is to explain why the reception staff have been trained to ask questions regarding the reasons for the appointment, so that they can ensure that the correct appointment can be booked, or they can direct the patients to the most appropriate service:
Health Care Assistant appointments:
These clinical staff perform a wide range of appointments. Examples include: Blood Pressure measures, Blood tests, Dressings, Taking ECGs (when requested by the GPs) etc. They also can give flu vaccinations to patients who have had a flu vaccine before. These appointments can be booked in advance with some urgent appointments available on the day also.
Nursing appointments:
Our Nurses perform a wide range of appointments for various clinical areas i.e.: Diabetes reviews, Asthma reviews, Complex dressings, Smears, Childhood Immunisations, Travel Immunisations, Various other treatments given via injection (including flu vaccinations). These appointments can be booked in advance, also with some urgent appointments available on the day.
Advanced Nurse Practitioners (ANP):
Our ANPs are able to see many patients with complex care needs and can see many clinical conditions that would also be seen by a GP. These appointments can be booked in advance and on the day.
Pharmacist:
The practice has a Pharmacist, who can conduct medication reviews, COPD and Asthma reviews, and some clinical conditions that would be seen by a GP. These appointments can be booked in advance.
GP appointments:
Routine appointments: These appointments are for non-urgent clinical issues that cannot be dealt with by any of the above clinical staff. These can be booked in advance. There is usually a 2 - 3 week wait for these appointments, and these are released during several days of the week.
Urgent care appointments: The practice offers a combination of phone calls with a GP and face to face appointments for urgent clinical needs. The appointment system was altered at the end of April 2019 in response to a review of patient need, and more urgent care appointments are now be available across the week, with more being available on the busier days. These additional appointments have been added without the loss of any routine GP appointments. These appointments are booked on the day. (Note: The telephone calls may be done at the end of a clinic and not at a specific time).
Other clinics: GPs also sometimes hold specialist clinics for clinical needs such coil fitting or minor ops. These appointments are put on when a clinic is organised with the relevant clinical staff.
PLEASE NOTE: All appointments are PRE-BOOKED ONLY. The only exception to this is ‘open’ flu clinics held on some Saturdays in the Autumn/Winter. Details are put on the website/ in the practice.