Urgent appointments
To request an urgent appointment for today or tomorrow (Monday to Friday):
- use our Online Service, Monday to Friday from 8.30am to 4pm. We will respond within 4 hours during opening times
- phone us on 0191 543 5555, Monday to Friday from 8.30am to 6pm
- visit the surgery and speak with a receptionist, Monday to Friday from 8.30am to 6pm
When you get in touch, we’ll ask what you need help with.
We will use the information you give us to choose the most suitable doctor, nurse or health professional to help you.
Routine appointments
To request a routine appointment in the next 7 days:
- use our Online Service, Monday to Friday 8.30am to 4pm. We will respond within 4 hours during opening times
- phone us on 0191 543 5555, Monday to Friday from 8.30am to 6pm
- visit the surgery and speak with a receptionist, Monday to Friday from 8.30am to 6pm
- use your NHS account (through the NHS website or NHS App) to book a screening test or vaccination
When you get in touch, we’ll ask what you need help with.
We will use the information you give us to choose the most suitable doctor, nurse or health professional to help you.
Your appointment
However you choose to contact us, we may offer you a consultation:
- by phone
- face to face at the surgery
- on a video call
- by text or email
Appointments by phone, video call or by text or email can be more flexible and often means you get help sooner.
Cancelling or changing an appointment
To cancel your appointment:
- use your NHS account (through the NHS website or NHS App)
- using the GP online system
- phone uson 0191 543 5555, Monday to Friday from 8.30am to 6.00pm
- reply CANCEL to your appointment reminder text message
If you need help when we are closed
If you need medical help now, use NHS 111 online or call 111.
NHS 111 online is for people aged 5 and over. Call 111 if you need help for a child under 5.
Call 999 in a medical or mental health emergency. This is when someone is seriously ill or injured and their life is at risk.
If you need help with your appointment
Please tell us:
- if there’s a specific doctor, nurse or other health professional you would prefer to respond
- if you would prefer to consult with the doctor or nurse by phone, face-to-face, by video call or by text or email
- if you need an interpreter
- if you have any other access or communication needs
Home visits
If you are housebound and need an appointment, we will do a home visit. We will phone you first to understand what you need.
To request a home visit, it’s helpful if you phone the practice as soon after 8am as possible.
Making the most of your appointment – How you can help
Make notes of any questions or concerns you might have before your appointment so you can make sure you inform the doctor of all relevant details.
Wear loose clothing to make it easier for you to have your blood pressure checked. Chest examination or feet examined, etc.
If you are concerned about not understanding or remembering something from your appointment you can bring someone with you – someone with whom you are happy to share your medical information.
Feel free to ask questions. Ask doctor or nurse to explain or write it down if it is not clear what you are being told.
Be direct. You may have a problem that is embarrassing or difficult for you to talk about. Do not leave it till the end. Remember these problems are probably common to your doctor.
If you are prescribed medication, be sure you are happy as to why it has been prescribed, how it works and how long you have to take it. You can also ask the pharmacist about your medication queries.
If you taking any medication please bring them with you. Bring with you any other medications you are taking not prescribed by your doctor, such as from health food shops, etc.
How does our appointment system work?
999
Cases of chest pain, very short of breath, severe pain that is unbearable, passing blood, black outs, symptoms of stroke – it is best to ring 999 to avoid any delay.
To see a doctor for a new or existing medical problem, we have 2 types of appointments
Same day urgent:
If you feel unwell and want to see the doctor on the same day, please mention this at the time of call. The receptionists are trained to take appropriate clinical details of the ongoing problem and will pass it to the duty doctor who will triage the request and often offers a same day appointment. The more information you provide, the more helpful it would be for the duty doctor to triage the request.
If the duty doctor felt that a more suitable service would be appropriate after the clinical triage, eg- nurse, pharmacist, social prescriber, health and well-being coach etc, you will be re-directed by the administration staff to a more appropriate staff member.
Routine appointments:
The waiting time for routine appointments is between 1-2 weeks. If your situation changes whilst waiting for a routine appointment, please ring and let us know and we may be able to prioritise to a same day urgent if clinically appropriate. These appointments are also available to book online. You can either ring the surgery and request routine appointments or if this is a a follow up, the clinician can arrange for this.
E-consultation:
Our e-consultations are open 24×7 and are most suitable for routine appointments. You can access this on the practice website. If you feel you need an urgent appointment, it is best to ring and request for a same day urgent appointment or book online rather than filling an e-consultation. On review of the information, we will either provide you with an appointment or direct you to another member of the staff as clinically appropriate. We will get back to you by the end of the next working day.
Medication review clinics:
You can directly ring the practice and request for a free medication review. If you are on any medications that need a regular blood test or review, the pharmacists and pharmacy technicians along with prescribing clerks arrange this.
Other appointments provided by the practice:
Longterm conditions (LTC) clinic – We will send you an appointment if you have a known LTC
Minor surgery clinic: You need to be referred into this clinic by the consulting GP, and the usual waiting time is 2-4 weeks.
Smoking cessation clinic: You can directly ring the practice and request for a clinic appointment
Coils and implants: You can either ring the practice for this to be fitted or one of the consulting GPs refer you to this clinic following a discussion with you.
Travel clinic: If you are travelling away, we offer all NHS and non-NHS (paid service) vaccines. You can ring the practice and book an appointment for this.
Other nurse led clinics provided by the practice
- Free NHS health checks
- Learning disabilities
- Autism
- Serious mental illness
When to use NHS 111 online or call 111
NHS 111 can help if you think you need medical help right now.
You can get help from NHS 111:
- by using 111 online
- in the NHS App
- by calling 111
111 can direct you to the best place to get help if you cannot contact your GP during the day, or when your GP is closed (out-of-hours).
Depending on what you need, you might be advised to:
- call 999 or go to A&E in an emergency
- go to an urgent treatment centre
- see an evening and weekend GP (out-of-hours GP)
- book a callback from a nurse
- get urgent specialist support, for dental or mental health problems
- contact your own GP surgery
- see a pharmacist for help with a minor illness
- look after yourself safely at home