Appointments

Configure Appointment Details

Appointments System

Total Triage 

Our practice operates a Total triage system. This model of practice is called Total Triage and helps us to prioritise urgent care and utilise the many members of our skilled primary care team appropriately.

Completing the form online will likely be quicker than waiting in the call queue for our team and will mean the telephone lines are available for those patients that do need support completing the form. Often when you complete the form yourselves the clinician gets more detailed information about your condition/medical concerns which is helpful.

https://churchmere.webgp.com/

For clinical queries we will respond by the end of the next working day or the same day if it is urgent. For administrative queries we will respond within three working days.

For planned practice nurse or healthcare assistant appointment e.g. injections and dressings you continue to phone the practice and book these directly. There is no need to complete an eConsult form.

If you cannot complete the eConsult online form please be assured that you can still contact the practice and a member of the patient services team will complete the form on your behalf. To do this they will have to ask questions about your medical concern. This is so that they can pass on accurate information to the clinician triaging your request. All our staff our bound by the same confidentiality policies and are asking these questions so that we can ensure you get the care/treatment you need

 

Patient Services Advisors

When you contact the practice you will speak to a ‘Patient Services Advisor’ who is trained to arrange an appointment with the most appropriate person depending on your need and urgency.

If you are requesting an appointment for a new problem or concern they will ask you questions about your symptoms in order to navigate you to the person best suited to help you. The Patient Services Advisor is not being nosey, nor will they make any clinical decisions, they have been trained to help you get the most appropriate care, from the most appropriate person.

Patient Services Advisors, like all members of the team, are bound by the same confidentiality rules.

Thank you for your support.

Telephone Consultations

We also offer telephone consultation appointments within the practice as you do not always needs to be seen face to face for your appointment. 

Chaperones

All patients are entitled to have a chaperone present for any consultation, examination or procedure where they consider one is required. The chaperone may be a family member or friend, but on occasions a formal chaperone may be preferred.

Patients can help us by telling us they would like a chaperone present at the time of booking the appointment, this avoids delays, but we are happy to provide a chaperone without prior notice. The Healthcare Professional may also require a chaperone to be present for certain consultations.

a person sitting on a bed

Home Visits

Patients are requested, where possible, to telephone before 11am if a home visit is required that day.

We would request that, apart from the genuinely housebound, all other patients attend the surgery rather than request a home visit because of the extra time home visiting takes. On average four to five patients can be seen in surgery in the time it takes to do a single house call. In addition, the care that can be offered due to the lack of adequate lighting, examination facilities and equipment means that you may not receive as good a service as the doctor may be able to offer if you came to the surgery.

Please note that the doctor may telephone you rather than visit you if this is medically appropriate. Ultimately it is the doctors right to decide whether or not a visit is appropriate for a particular set of circumstances.

Text Reminder Service

We have a texting service which allows you to recieve confirmation and reminders about your appointments.

Please remember to update your contact details with us when you change address, telephone numbers and email address.

Late For Your Appointment

Please attend your appointment on time, if you are late you may not be seen. If you are not seen you will not be able to rearrange your appointment until the next working day-except in the event of an medical emergency that requires immediate attention.

Interpreter

If you require an interpreter to attend with you when you see your doctor please notify the receptionist and she will arrange this for you.

Enhanced Access

Enhanced Access

Enhanced Access services at GP practices: What does it mean?

The way GP services are provided on evenings, weekends and bank holidays is changing.  

From 1 October 2022, appointments will be made available outside of normal practice hours, to include weekday evenings, weekends, and bank holidays. Some of these will be provided at the practice and some at local hubs.

Things that won’t change are:  

  • The overall number of hours that need to be provided for patients. 
  • The hub locations, for face-to-face appointments, still need to be convenient to patients. 
  • The type of appointment – a mixture of face-to-face and remote (telephone, video, online) appointment will be available.
  • Appointments will continue to be available with GPs and Practice Nurses in addition to other healthcare roles.  

We hope that this will allow patients to book appointments at time that may be more suitable for them.

To book an appointment please contact us, during normal opening hours, and speak to one of our Patient Service Advisors who will be able to help. Appointments may not be with your registered GP but will be with a GP or other qualified healthcare professional.

 

Opening Times

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