Accessing your GP services

Please call us on 01332 667911, our phone lines are open from 8am to 6pm Monday to Friday.

Our telephone lines remain very busy daily. Please be kind to our reception staff who are doing their best to assist you. We will not tolerate any abusive or aggressive behaviour targeted at staff or other patients. Any patients or relatives doing so risk being removed from the premises, and deregistered from the practice. You can read more about our zero tolerance policy here.

eConsult is an online service that enables you to submit a query or request to us.

eConsult is available Monday to Friday from 8am to 6:30pm. Outside of these hours please contact 111 for medical advice, or 999 for medical emergencies. You can access eConsult via our Online Services page.

Please note that as of 8th Nov 2021 – eConsults will only be offered for:

• Suspected urinary tract infections in adults
• Med 3 requests (sick notes for absences longer than 7 calendar days)
• Dermatology skin rashes or lesions (only if a photo is attached)
• Medication review for less than 5 medications on repeats
• Musculoskeletal conditions e.g., joint pains for our First Contact Physiotherapist
• Medical reports requests

For all other conditions outside of this scope please telephone the surgery directly to arrange a telephone or face to face appointment. Why have we made these changes?

• Please note this service is only usually available during our usual contracted hours of Monday to Friday 0800 – 1830. Outside of these hours please contact 111 for medical advice , or attend your local Urgent Care Centre or Accident & Emergency department, or ring 999 for any urgent medical emergencies.
• There is a limit on the number of eConsults that we can safely process in a day. You may therefore find that the eConsult service is reduced when capacity has been reached. You should still ring the surgery if you need medical assistance – please check our homepage for regular updates on service availability.
• We aim to respond to your queries within 2 working days, with the majority within 1 working day wherever possible. This may be via sms text, telephone or email. Please note that due to increasing demand and workforce limitations, some queries may take longer to respond to e.g. admin queries may take upwards of 3 working days. If your query or condition changes and becomes more urgent, please telephone the surgery, or contact 111 for further medical advice.

• If you need to send photos that may help us to diagnose and manage your medical condition, please click on these links (Link 1) (Link2) for guidance on how to send a good quality photo. *Please note that for medico-legal and safeguarding reasons, we do not advise sending photographs of any private, intimate or sensitive parts of the body*.

How to make the most of eConsult

• Select the most appropriate section for your query e.g. medication review (only if you are on less than 5 regular medications), contraception review, rash/spots (only if you are able to supply a clear photo), musculoskeletal problems such as back pain, cystitis or urinary tract infections in adults.

• Please avoid using “General Advice” as this makes it more difficult for us to decide the best help for you. You may be asked to resubmit another eConsult using the appropriate section if this happens.

• If used correctly, eConsult should help us to resolve your query more efficiently. Incorrect or incomplete eConsults may result in further delays to your query, as we may need to request further information from you and/or request a resubmission with the relevant information.

• Browse the self-care and self-help section for common minor conditions that may not require an appointment with a clinician.

• Be as comprehensive as possible with your query or request, without writing a novel – the more relevant information we have, the easier it is to decide how best to get you the help/response you need.

• Please avoid using 1 online form for multiple problems.

• Please always update us when you change your mobile or landline number, to enable us to contact you.

• For ongoing problems, please specify the clinician or team member that has been caring for you – this helps with continuity of care – where possible we will always try and forward your query to that clinician. If that clinician or team member is not available your query will be allocated to the next available appropriate team member.

• If eConsult directs you to ring 111 or 999 or attend A&E, please follow the advice given, and do not try and resubmit your eConsult by providing different answers to the questions.

• Please don’t worry if you are unable to complete an online eConsult – please telephone us and our reception team will be pleased to assist you.

For further information and FAQs please visit eConsult’s FAQ page.

Advice, treatment, or signposting to alternative treatment via sms

• Providing we have enough information in your eConsult, we may be able to provide you with advice or a prescription for your condition, or signpost you to alternative management options. This saves you from needing a face to face appointment at the surgery.
• We currently use a software tool called Accurx to send you a text message, sometimes with useful links and attachments, hence it is essential that we have your up to date mobile number.

Telephone Appointments with an appropriate clinician

• Sometimes it may be more appropriate for you to speak to a specific professional for your query e.g. a physiotherapist or pharmacist or social prescriber, or it may be that your query is best managed by the Clinician that knows you best, who may not be working on the day you call or submit your eConsult.
• You will be informed of this telephone appointment booking, usually via sms or telephone (please make sure we have your most up to date details).
• The team member will always try and contact you at a convenient time for you, but please bear in mind that it may not always be possible to specify an exact time as this depends on any other urgent or emergency calls that the Clinical Team has to deal with on the day.

Video Consultation

You will receive a link to your mobile phone when the clinician is ready to start the video consultation. We currently use a service called Accurx, it is not necessary for the patient to download an app. Just click on the link you receive, and the rest is simple and straightforward.

For more information about video consultations, watch this video.

Face to Face consultation at the surgery

Face to face consultations are available for those that prefer this method of consultation, or if your clinical problem indicates that this is preferable over a telephone or online consultation.

If you have a pre-booked face to face consultation:

• Although face masks are no longer mandatory, we would encourage face masks if you are attending with a respiratory problem e.g. cough (it may not be Covid19 but masks can help to reduce the spread of airborne infections) – children are not required to wear face masks.
• Patients are still welcome to wear face masks if they prefer.
• Continue to remember good hand hygiene measures by using hand sanitiser.