How to make an appointment
There have been several changes to access arrangements to doctors over the last couple of years.
The change to 48-hour access from the system where patients had to wait 3 weeks for an appointment were widely welcomed by patients and doctors alike. However, a number of patients have issues with transport and work and need to be able to pre-book for non urgent appointments more than 48 hours in advance. We do not want to return to 3 week delays and so "On day" appointments will continue to be an objective, however there will be more prebookable appointments up to two weeks ahead, for those that need them. We still encourage using the 48 hour appointments above prebooking where possible, but appreciate that for some this is not possible.
The Triage system will continue to be the first choice for new and urgent problems as the Triage sister can arrange suitable appointments with a “duty doctor” that has been specifically allocated the task of dealing with urgent problems on that day.
In all cases if you are unable to arrange a satisfactory appointment on your initial contact, we would request you leave a contact number and your requested Dr will contact you. You should never have to call the surgery more than once to arrange your appointment.
Telephone access. Telephone lines can be congested at busy times This can be reduced by phoning for test results, enquiries and pre booked appointments in the afternoon or late morning.
Visit requests and "on day" appointments do need to be made as early as possible, and we request that you call as soon as possible on the day to arrange these.
Of course if you have a problem that you feel could be dealt with by telephone then ask for your doctor to call you back.
We are aware that at times patients have difficulty in getting through, and we have recently increased the number of staff to ensure that all possible extensions are manned, especially at busy times. However, unfortunately we only have a set number of telephone lines allocated to us. It is hoped that by following the advice above this inconvenience can be minimized.
You will know that you are through to our practice when a person answers "Green appointments, Dr Rial and Partners" or “Red appointments, Dr Hamilton and Partners”. We endeavor to deal with your call as swiftly and efficiently as possible.
We genuinely welcome your feedback, good or bad. It is just such feedback that has led to the changes to date, and we would wish to remain responsive to your needs in the future. Please let us know your experiences using the online feedback form or by contacting Jackie Kemish at Waterside Health Centre.
Summary
• Book "on day" if possible.
• Utilise the Triage system.
• Prebook if essential.
• Avoid telephoning at busy times if possible.
If you need urgent advice outside normal surgery hours, a doctor is always on call (0844 811 3060).
Thank you for your co-operation
