Appointment System
GP Appointments
All GP, Nurse Practitioner and Paramedic appointments are now booked via SystmConnect. SystmConnect is an extremely effective triage service. "Triage" means that patient's interactions with the Practice are ranked in gradations between the extremes of "very urgent and important" to "important but not urgent". You can access the form via the SystmConnect link which can be found on the home page of our website. The form is also available on your personal NHS app. The online form requires you to answer a series of questions. These start off in very general terms, but further queries become successively more 'granular' down to real detail about what the problem is, allowing it to be assessed and then dealt with appropriately.
If you aren't able to complete the form online, you are still able to phone us as usual and one of our receptionists will go through the process with you, filling out the answers on your behalf.
All clinical triage requests are sent automatically to a GP for evaluation. The GP makes the final decision about what action is necessary and you will be contacted with an outcome that same day. This could be a same-day appointment, a future appointment, a telephone call or be put in touch with a pharmacist, a paramedic, a nurse practitioner, or other NHS departments or services.
Continuity of care is important, so when we offer you a GP appointment, we will always try to make it with your usual GP. This applies to any follow-up appointments or telephone calls.
Please note that SystmConnect replaces E-consult.
Practice Nurse Team
Our practice nurse team operate a pre-bookable appointment system, and our receptionists are able to arrange appointments for you. Nurse-led disease management clinics operate for diabetes, respiratory problems, hypertension and heart disease. These clinics are supervised by the doctor who is available when necessary.
If you need help when we are closed
- Use NHS 111 online (111.nhs.uk) or call 111. 111 online is for people aged 5 and over. Call 111 if you need help for a child under 5.
- Out of hours information
- If it’s a life-threatening emergency call 999.
Cancelling an appointment
Use our online form to notify us if you need to cancel your GP appointment so that we can allocate the time to another patient. Please give as much notice as possible when cancelling appointments online.
If your appointment is today, please telephone the surgery on 01626 832666 or 01626 852379.
Evening Appointments
Every week on Monday and Tuesday , Riverside Surgery opens its doors from 6pm to 8pm as part of our 'Enhanced Access' service.
Towerhouse surgery stays open Monday and Tuesday from 6pm to 8pm every 3rd week.
Weekend Appointments
In addition to our evening appointments, there will be weekend appointments available at Albany surgery. Patients can see a Health Care Assistant, Practice Nurse, or GP. This service is for pre-booked routine work and is not for acute, urgent or walk-in situations. For any urgent or acute problem, you should continue to contact 111 for help and advice.
Times for weekend appointments:
- Saturdays: between 8am and 6pm
- Sundays: between 8am and 1pm
Consent to share your medical records
The Clinician you see will require access to your medical history in your records. When you book your appointment, you will be asked to consent to the sharing of your medical records. When you give consent, the only person who will be able to see your records is the Clinician at your appointment. Your consent will be valid for just 28 days from your appointment date.
If you do not wish to share your medical records, then unfortunately the weekday and weekend appointment service will not be suitable for you.
Try the NHS App
You can now use the NHS App, a simple and secure way to access a range of NHS services and your GP account on your smartphone or tablet.
You can use the NHS App to check your symptoms and get instant advice, order repeat prescriptions, view your GP medical record, access your Covid vaccination status and more.
If you already use online access you can continue to use it. You can use the NHS App as well.
For more information go to www.nhs.uk/nhsapp