Over recent weeks we have been reviewing the ways that we can be contacted for help.
The covid pandemic changed the way we were able to operate, which resulted in our website being upgraded to give patient’s the opportunity to contact us online.
In 2022 we were contacted over 20,000 times through our website and whilst this can be very useful, there are certain requests which can be dealt with in a much quicker and smoother way, benefiting both patients and the practice.
Following the review we have made some changes to the way we work, the biggest is that we are now encouraging patients to call reception on 01603 765550 (option 1) if they would like to book an appointment. The reception team have been trained to ask a few basic questions to ensure that the appointment is booked with the correct clinician.
Requests for home visits should also be made by calling this number, ideally before 10:00am.
Appointments to see a Nurse or Health Care Assistant can be made over the telephone or through our website.
Any patient looking for non urgent medical advice should continue to use the ‘Get advice from a Health Care Professional’ form on our website. This form is available from 7:00am to 9:30am Monday to Friday mornings (excluding Bank Holidays) and we aim to respond within 3 working days.
If you need help outside these times which cannot wait until the next morning then please speak to reception or if over the weekend contact the NHS 111 service.
We will continue to monitor how well these revised procedures work and information on any further enhancements will be posted on the website.