Changes to our appointment system
Our appointment system will be changing from the 15th April 2024.
For more infomation on the changes please see our newsletter. April 2024 Newsletter
Requesting an Appointment
We appreciate the appointment booking system has not been ideal, especially with the unprecedented demand that GP practices have been experiencing. We are aware of our patient demographics and try to consider patients of all ages, giving fair access to all.
Routine GP appointments are bookable 7 days in advance, some appointments will be bookable online for patients that prefer this method. Patients will be able to choose, at the time of booking, whether they would like the appointment to be via the telephone or face-to-face.
We cannot accept appointment requests made by email unless you are unable to communicate via the telephone.
The Urgent Care Team list runs from 8am to 11am and 2pm to 5:15pm. The afternoon list will not be open until 2:00pm and the phone lines are closed between 1pm to 2pm daily so please call after this time. These times can vary based on demand and clinical safety.
We are open until 6:30pm for urgent calls. After 6:30pm, please call 111 or visit 111 Online for out-of-hours service or 999 for emergencies.
Nurse appointments are released 2 weeks in advance and can be booked by calling the practice preferably after 10:00am as our phone lines are generally quieter.
GP Routine Appointments
GP routine appointments are released on weekdays from 8am and you can request an appointment by calling the practice on 01329 664231.
GP routine appointments are bookable 7 days in advance. You will be able to choose, at the time of booking, whether you would like the appointment to be via telephone or face-to-face.
More face-to-face appointments will be bookable online if you prefer this method. GP routine appointments are released online at 7pm 7 days in advance. These can be booked via your online access provider ie (NHS App/Patient Access) and not via this website.
Urgent Care Team
If you feel that you require to see or speak with a Clinician urgently ie that day, you should contact the practice between 8am to 11am and between 2pm to 5:15pm. The reception staff will ask about the nature of the problem and pass this on to the urgent care team. You will then receive a callback or text message and will be given advice or allocated an appointment as appropriate.
Our Urgent Care Team is made up of Advanced Nurse Practitioners and Urgent Care Sisters who are senior healthcare professionals with additional training, qualifications and experience allowing them to undertake tasks once performed by doctors. They are experienced at taking a patient history, assessing symptoms, making a diagnosis and instigating treatment or referrals as required. There is a daily duty doctor who works alongside the urgent care team.
eConsult
eConsults are available from 8am to 6:30pm, Monday to Friday. If you require medical attention outside of these times please call 111 or go to 111 Online
Your eConsult will be triaged by the practice and under careful consideration will be reviewed by the most suitable clinician. In addition, your information may be forwarded to our Primary Care Network team, specialising in physiotherapy and well-being services within the practice. Complementing this, under the newly implemented Community Pharmacy Consultation Scheme, we may send your details to a local pharmacy, facilitating contact with a pharmacist for further assistance.
We do not accept appointment requests via eConsult. If you feel you need to be examined by a doctor please book a face-to-face appointment to ensure your medical condition is appropriately reviewed.
Submitting an eConsult doesn’t mean you will receive a call from a doctor. If your eConsult is sent to a doctor, you will most likely be responded to via text or email.
Administrative eConsults are handled by the secretaries/admin team.
Phlebotomy Service (blood test)
If your GP or nurse at the surgery has asked you to have a blood test, this will be done at the surgery. You can book a blood test online via your online access provider, appointments are released on weekdays at 7pm or you can call the practice to book.
If your hospital consultant has asked you to have a blood test, this will not usually be done at your GP practice. See the Blood Tests for the choice of clinics available to you.
If you already have blood tests done at home, you will not be affected as these services will continue.
First Contact Practitioners Physio Appointments
We have physio appointments which are released on weekdays and bookable between 8am to 11:30am. Please be aware we only have a limited number of appointments daily so the earlier you call the more likely you will be successful in booking an appointment. The appointment will be a telephone appointment where you can discuss your condition with a physio, you will then be invited for face-to-face consultation, if necessary.
The Surgery Health POD
We have a Health POD in reception which can take your blood pressure, weight and height. This means you longer have to book an appointment to have your blood pressure checked. The POD will take your readings and add them to your medical records, an alert will be sent to a clinical if any action is required from the readings.
Cancellations
If you can no longer make your appointment or it is not needed, please cancel your appointment. If the practice has a mobile number registered, we will send you a reminder text 24 hours before your appointment. There will be a link in the text message if you need to cancel your appointment or you can call or email the practice to cancel your appointment.
Did Not Attend Appointments (DNA)
In January 2024 we had 52 DNA appointments. The majority of the DNA appointments were for nurse and HCA appointments, we would like to remind pateints that if they cannot make any appointment at the practice to please contact us as soon as possible so the appointment can be given to another patient.
The effects of these are:
- An increase in the waiting time for appointments
- Frustration for both staff and patients
- A waste of resources
- A potential risk to the health of the patient
To cancel an appointment please either call the practice (selcet option 1 then option 1) and leave us an voicemail, email us at hiowicb-hsi.stubbington-admin@nhs.net (if more than 24 hours before your appointment) or pop into the practice and speak to the reception team.
Please click here to view our Did Not Attend Policy (DOCX, 24KB)
Emergencies
If you are confronted by a serious problem such as severe chest pain or severe bleeding, call an ambulance (telephone: 999) before calling the surgery and informing the doctor.
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.
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, book appointments, 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
Chaperones
If you would like a chaperone present during a consultation, please request one when you make the initial appointment or during the consultation.