We understand that when you are unwell or worried, you want help as soon as possible. We feel the same – our whole team wants to support you quickly and safely when you need care.
General practice works within a limited budget. This means there is a fixed amount of funding available, and practices must carefully manage it to provide as many appointments as possible for patients. Decisions must be made about using this funding to have the right mix of staff, such as GPs, nurses, pharmacists, paramedics and social prescribers, so patients can be seen by the most appropriate person.
To keep patients safe, practices also need to balance different types of appointments, including:
- urgent, same day appointments for acute problems
- book ahead appointments for non‑urgent concerns
- follow-ups and routine reviews for long-term conditions such as asthma or diabetes
When you contact the Practice by telephone, our friendly, knowledgeable reception team will help you make the most suitable appointment to meet your needs. This could be:
- Booking you the next routine GP appointment
- Booking with our Nursing Team
- Directing you to an alternative Service where you can receive advice and support, for example the local Pharmacy, Physio, Minor Illness and Injury Unit, and so on
- Adding you to our On Call list for a call back the same day (this is for clinically urgent requests only)
- If you are able to access our Website, you may also be advised to complete an online consultation which will be reviewed by a Clinician and advice given to you by close of play the following working day. This may involve a face to face or telephone appointment being booked with an appropriate clinician (within a clinically assessed timescale), advice being given by email, or a prescription being issued.
We understand that being asked to wait can feel frustrating, especially if you are worried. However, clinically prioritising requests helps ensure that patients who need urgent care that day can be seen safely.
We ask patients to be understanding of the clinical judgement used to decide safe waiting times. When we suggest support from other parts of the NHS – such as pharmacies or local community and voluntary services – this advice is given carefully and often allows you to get help more quickly.
If you would like to support general practice to improve the care it is able to provide to patients, you may wish to contact your local MP. How general practice is funded and organised has a direct impact on how easily patients can get appointments.
By working together, we can help make sure that everyone gets the right care, at the right time. Thank you for your patience and understanding.