Please note reception staff will be asking why patients want a GP appointment rather than just booking them as we have done in the past. We are making this change as like most practices, demand for GP time is much greater than we can possibly supply, however, audits have found that 25-30% of appointments booked are unnecessary, the top reasons are for self-limiting conditions such as sore throats, coughs and colds, bowel problems, insect bites, morning sickness etc. for which patients can self care or see a pharmacist.

If you need to see a doctor we are able to offer appointments on the day. Pre-bookable telephone appointments with a GP are currently limited.

If you need to be seen the same day, please ring first thing at 08:00.

We will try to offer you the doctor of your choice, but this is sometimes not possible and you may be seen by one of the other partners at the practice.

For patients who have to arrange their appointments outside of normal working hours, we have a limited number of pre-booked appointments available outside of core hours. 

Please note: We are now offering Pre-bookable telephone appointments with the GPs, these are limited, please ask our reception team when you call.

Appointments given are 10-minute slots - one appointment for one person/problem. If you have more than one problem you should tell the Doctor about your main problem and they will decide on a course of action for any other problems.

Appointments for the practice nurse, HCA and midwife can be booked in advance.

The Practice nurse is available twice a week.

Our HCA (Health Care Assistant) works Monday, Wednesday and Thursday.

The midwife is currently based at Stavely though pregnant women can contact the Midwifery base direct at the Healthy Living Centre in Staveley or telephone 01246 470684

We also offer telephone appointments for patients who cannot get into the surgery.

These can be booked by ringing at 08:00 on the morning you wish to speak to the GP.

Patients are now offered a choice of which hospitals they would like to be referred to. During your consultation, if your GP feels the need to refer you, you will be offered such a choice.

If you require any further information about this, please ask at the reception desk.

It is important that you inform the reception staff if you are unable to attend your appointment, this will allow that appointment to be offered to another patient. If you fail to notify the Practice that you are unable to attend, you will be sent a letter informing you that you have defaulted from your appointment. Persistent defaulters maybe removed from the list.

You can also complete our appointment cancellation notification request form. This can only be used if your appointment has been arranged for more than 24 hours in advance. (excluding weekends and public holidays). You can also text to cancel your appointment.

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

To have this service you will need to register by completing a consent form.

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

Whilst we encourage our patients to come to the surgery, where we have the proper equipment and facilities available, we do appreciate this is not always possible. In this respect, if you do need a home visit, you can help us by calling reception before 10:00.

You may only request a home visit if you are housebound, by this we mean unable to leave the house for any reason.  Your GP will only visit you at home if they think that your medical condition requires it and will also decide how urgently a visit is needed. Please bear this in mind and be prepared to provide suitable details to enable the doctor to schedule house calls

You can also be visited at home by a community nurse if you are referred by your GP. You should also be visited at home by a health visitor if you have recently had a baby or if you are newly registered with a GP and have a child under five years.

We sometimes have a medical student at the practice who may be present in your consultation with the doctor. We believe that this gives students a valuable insight into general practice and forms part of their vocational training.

If you do not wish the student to be present in your consultation, please mention this to the receptionist. A notice will be displayed in reception when a medical student is present.