Appointments

Appointments – How to Request Care

You can submit a care request in one of the following ways:

• Online (Preferred method)
  The quickest and most efficient way to reach us is by using eConsult via our website or the NHS App. This allows us to respond to your needs more promptly and effectively.
• At the Surgery – Now with Tablet Access
  If you don’t have access to the internet or a smartphone, you can now complete an eConsult form using one of our tablets at the surgery. Our reception team is available to assist you if needed. This ensures everyone can benefit from the speed and convenience of online access.
• By Phone If you don’t have access to the internet and you are unable to come in to the surgery, you can call the practice. A receptionist will ask you some brief questions and submit a shortened version of the eConsult on your behalf. We prefer patients complete a full eConsult online as it captures more information and helps our doctors to make decisions about the best next steps in care. We understand that not everyone is able to do this.

All requests, regardless of how they’re submitted, will be triaged in the same way by a clinician.

No digital access?  
We will shortly have tablets available at the surgery to help patients complete their eConsult forms with assistance from our reception team if needed. This ensures everyone has equal access, regardless of whether you have a smartphone or internet at home. 

What to Expect After Submitting a Request

Once your request is reviewed, we will contact you with the next steps. This may include:

• A telephone or face-to-face appointment with a GP
• A consultation with another member of our team (e.g. nurse, pharmacist, physiotherapist)
• A referral to a specialist or community service
• A prescription, fit note, or advice without the need for an appointment

You may be contacted by phone, text, or email, so please ensure your contact details are up to date.

Home Visit Requests 

Please call before 10:00am if you think a home visit is needed. A clinician will assess your request and may call you first to confirm.

You may only request a home visit if you are housebound or are too ill to visit the practice. One of the home visiting team will only visit you at home if they think that your medical condition requires it and will also decide how urgently a visit is needed. They may contact you by telephone you prior to your home visit.

You can be visited at home by a community nurse if you are referred by your GP. You should also be visited at home by a health visitor if you have recently had a baby or if you are newly registered with a GP and have a child under five years.

Chaperones

Should you require the services of a chaperone during a consultation with a doctor or nurse, for an examination of an intimate nature, this can be arranged. Where possible, please let the receptionist know at the time you book the appointment.

Cancellations

If you are not able to keep your appointment please call 01227 831900 (Bridge), 01227 763377 (Ethelbert Road) or 01227 721515 (Littlebourne) and cancel as soon as possible: someone else may need to see the doctor urgently.

Alternatively you can cancel your appointment online using  Patient Access or The NHS App  if you are signed up to the service. 

Please remember that there may be a shortage of appointments and when you fail to attend you have prevented someone else from being seen in your place. 

Cancellations notified less than 30 minutes before the appointment time will be recorded as failure to attend (DNA).

Repeated failure to attend booked appointments is a significant waste of NHS resources