Book an Appointment

We want to help patients get the best service possible from the staff and resources we have available at the health centre. We offer a range of appointments with doctors, practice nurses and healthcare assistants.

We open at 08:00 and our surgeries run from 08:00 – 17:50 daily. Our early morning appointments are fortnightly on a Wednesday between 7.30am – 8am and our evening appointments are weekly on a Thursday and the last appointment is 7:15pm.

In order to ensure you get the correct appointment you may be asked for some information about the problem by the reception staff when booking. This information will be treated in the strictest confidence.

You could be offered the following:

• A telephone appointment with a GP or Advanced Nurse Practitioner which may lead to a face to face appointment if deemed necessary 
• A face to face appointment with a GP or Advanced Nurse Practitioner
• A face to face appointment with a practice nurse
• A telephone appointment with a practice nurse
• A telephone appointment with the practice pharmacist to discuss a medication query
• A face to face or telephone appointment with our Mental Health and Wellbeing nurse
• A face to face or telephone appointment with our Mental Health and Wellbeing support worker
• A face to face appointment with our First Contact Physiotherapist

We try to provide appointments with your usual GP for continuity of care but this is not always possible. There is a large team at the Health Centre and you may be offered an appointment with another healthcare professional who will be able to help you.  Please book separate appointments for each member of the family attending.

Standard GP consultations are 15 minutes long and it is possible to deal with 1 and sometimes 2 problems in this time. If your problem is complex or you have a list, you may book a 30 minute (double) appointment. Double appointments are also appropriate for gynaecological problems and emotional issues.

If the GP is unable to deal with your problems in the 15 minutes then you may be asked to make another appointment.

Practice nurses run the chronic disease clinics which include diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, asthma and COPD.

They also deal with triage calls, ECG’s, blood pressure monitoring and cervical smears.

We have a blood pressure checking area and encourage you to visit this. Here you can check your own blood pressure and weight.

These can be pre-booked with your GP, Advanced Nurse Practitioner or practice nurse

Telephone appointments are suitable for:-

• Results of investigations or blood tests
• Management of minor illnesses
• Medication reauthorisation
• Urine infections
• Emergency contraception
• General health queries

Telephone appointments are 10 minutes.

There is a telephone triage system every morning, Monday to Friday, from 8am onwards for patients who request to be seen that day.  After triage, patients will be offered an appointment or call back with the most appropriate health care professional.

We are generally very happy for patients to bring with them a carer, relative or even a friend. This often helps, particularly when they know you well and it allows them to tell us any observations they would make about you, which can help us in undertaking our assessment. Ultimately this will lead us more quickly to make an accurate diagnosis and therefore help you more.

Also, having someone with you means they can prompt you to ask questions that you may have forgotten, and after the appointment they can help in reminding you what was discussed.

Occasionally we might ask for them to leave but this would be unusual.

If you require interpretation services please contact us in advance of you appointment and we will arrange this.

We will always respect your privacy, dignity and your religious and cultural beliefs particularly when intimate examinations are advisable – these will only be carried out with your express agreement and you will be offered a chaperone to attend the examination if you so wish.

You may also request a chaperone when making the appointment or on arrival at the surgery (please let the receptionist know) or at any time during the consultation.

You have the right to accept or refuse treatment that is offered to you, and not to be given any physical examination or treatment unless you have given valid consent. If you do not have the capacity to do so, consent must be obtained from a person legally able to act on your behalf, or the treatment must be in your best interests.

Your valid consent (agreement to the course of action) is needed for the treatment that’s offered to you before any physical examinations or treatment can be given. If you haven’t given your consent, you can accept or refuse treatment that’s offered to you.

It’s important to be involved in decisions about your treatment and to be given information to help you choose the right treatment. When making treatment choices, you’ll often discuss the options with your doctor or another healthcare professional.

Please inform reception if you suspect an infectious disease, as this will enable us to deal with it appropriately during your visit to protect you, other patients and staff. 

If you require an interpreter to attend with you when you see your Doctor please notify the receptionist and this will be arranged.

Medical examinations for special purposes such as pre-employment, fitness to travel, elderly drivers, fitness to undertake sports etc, will require longer than a routine appointment.

These examinations do not form part of NHS Services, you will be charged for any such examination. Please check the fee chargeable when you require to arrange any such examination.