Our Appointment System 

 

Appointments during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Please be reassured the surgery is open and working normally. you can contact us if you have any health concerns in the normal way. In order to improve patient safety we have moved to a telephone first consultation model and are also using video consultations or tests as appropriate. We are seeing patients in the surgery face to face and the clinician AFTER speaking to you on the telephone will book an appointment for you to come in, if it is needed. We are taking measures to reduce the spread of COVID-19 by asking patients to wear a face a mask and social distance within the surgery.


How To Book An Appointment

We only offer telephone consultations with the GPs, advanced nurse practitioners and the pharmacist online. Face to face appointments with these clinicians can only be booked after speaking to the receptionist on the phone.

You can, however, book face to face appointments with the practice nurse or the healthcare assistant online. 

  • Automated Telephone System 

You can also book the same appointments as online via the new automated telephone system. Choose option 1 and then follow the instructions.  

  • Telephone 

You can ring as usual to book an appointment. 

 

Types of Consultation Available

We now offer a wide range of consultation styles to meet the needs of patients. These include: 

 

Telephone Consultations

Many problems can be dealt with more effectively and conveniently with a telephone call or indeed a video call, rather than the patient having to come in for an appointment. Infact the majority of our consultations are now done this way, particularly in view of the Pandemic. 

Telephone appointments for the doctor, advanced nurse practitioner or the pharmacist can be booked online, using the NHS app or via the automated telephone system. 

 

Online Consultations

These consultations are best suited for more straight forward queries eg test results or travel advice. For new clinical problems or more complex issues it is best to book a telephone consultation. 

Online consultations can be accessed here

 

Face-To-Face Appointments

We provide face to face appointments for all patients who require this service. These appointments, however, can only be booked by ringing up and speaking to the receptionist. 

The receptionists have been trained to ask questions re your medical problems so that they can sign-post you to the correct clinician. 

 

Urgent Appointments with the Duty Doctor

If you feel your medical problem is urgent, please speak to the receptionist on the phone. She will schedule a call back from the duty doctor to assess your condition and then plan your care from there. 

  • The Duty Doctor service is available Monday to Friday (excluding weekends and Bank Holidays) between the hours of 08:00 and 18:30
  • Patients will receive a call back from the Duty Doctor within 2 hours of contacting the surgery
 

Routine Appointments

As much as possible, we are trying to encourage continuity of care. Thus, the receptionist will ask which clinician you have been seeing for this problem and try to schedule an appointment with that clinician.  

Although, it may mean waiting a bit longer for an appointment, it is much better for both the patient and the clinician to follow up with the same doctor or nurse. If it an emergency situation, then we will schedule the appointment with the duty doctor. 

 

Extended Opening Hours

We have doctor and healthcare assistant appointments available on Saturday and Sunday. Since April 2019 this contract has been run by City and Hackney GP Confederation. As a result, there are changes in how the service is run. 

The weekend appointments are available to all Hackney patients, but must be booked via their own surgery or NHS 111. We are able to book our own patients into these appointments up to 18.30 on Friday evening. After that, we are prohibited from using these appointments. 

Over the weekend all appointments must be booked via NHS 111, even if you are standing at the reception desk. On one occasion a receptionist did book such an appointment for a patient and we were threatened with having the whole service cancelled. 

From 18.30 on Friday the phone lines are transferred to 111 for the emergency GP service. 

 

Out of Hours

When the surgery is closed the out of hours GP service can be accessed by ringing 111. If you have a life-threatening emergency please ring 999. 

 

Who To See?

Medication queries 

Book a telephone consultation with the practice pharmacist. 

 

Dressings, stitch removals and blood tests 

Book an appointment with the healthcare assistant 

 

Travel queries 

Complete the online form and the pharmacist will call you back, or book a telephone consultation with the pharmacist. 

 

Contraception 

  • Repeat contraceptive pills 

Put the prescription request in and the surgery will contact you if you need a review, which will be with the practice nurse. You can complete the repeat contraception online form  

You could check your weight and BP at home and enter the details on the form. If you do not have a BP machine, pop into reception and they can get your BP checked.  

  • New contraception or change in contraception 

Book a telephone consultation with the advanced nurse practitioner 

  • Coils and implants 

These need to be booked at the family planning clinic, which are available here

 

Smears and childhood vaccination 

Book an appointment with the practice nurse 

 

Routine health check 

Such as BP or weight check can be booked with the health care assistant