Appointments
Appointments
Since 1st April 2023, due to changes made by the Government to our GP contract around having to offer specific appointments at time of contact, we have changed the way that appointments are booked. If you need to see a Nurse or other Healthcare professional, please call our reception team and ask to book your appointment. If you need a GP appointment please complete an eConsult (an online consultation) which will be assessed and reviewed at first contact and you will be signposted to the appropriate appointment. If you do not have access to the internet, please call or visit our reception team and they will be happy to complete the eConsult form for you.
Thank you all for your patience and kindness to our staff in these busy times.
For further information about eConsult please click here.
Online Services
Routine Appointments
If you need a routine appointment to see a doctor please complete an eConsult. Nurse appointments can be booked up to 12 weeks in advance.
Urgent Problems
If your condition is urgent please include this in your eConsult.
Practice Nurse/Health Care Assistant
If you need an appointment with our practice nurse or health care assistant you will be asked what type of appointment you need. This will help the receptionist to make your appointment with the appropriate clinician and to allow enough time.
Improving Access to General Practice Services
We are working to improve access to appointments for our patients, in particular at evenings and weekends. If you would like to be offered one of these appointments, please ask. These appointments may be at a different site e.g. Dorset County Hospital.
Extended Opening Hours
We offer an Extended Opening Surgery on alternate Saturdays within the month at Atrium Health Centre and Crossways Surgery (this may be subject to change).
The surgery is open for nurse and HCA appointments which can be booked by our reception team.
Please note patients will not be able to request or collect repeat prescriptions during this time.
When we are Closed
Click here for advice about how to get medical help when the Practice is closed.
GP appointment? Don't need it? Cancel it!
We know people forget things including cancelling GP appointments. Remember to cancel your appointment if you don't need it.
How to Cancel an Appointment
If you cannot keep your appointment, please let us know as soon as possible so that your appointment can be offered to someone else.
If you are cancelling please telephone us as soon as possible, and at least 30 minutes before your appointment time.
You may also cancel your appointment online using SystmOnline, Airmid or The NHS App if you are signed up for any of these.
Please remember that there may be a shortage of appointments and when you fail to attend you have prevented someone else from being seen in your place. On average about 230 appointments are missed each month.
Cancellations made less than 30 minutes before the appointment time will be recorded as 'did not attend' (DNA).
Repeated missed appointments is a huge waste of NHS resources.
Home Visits
We encourage our patients to come to the surgery where we have the proper equipment and facilities but we do understand that this is not always possible. If you need a home visit please telephone reception before 10am.
You may only ask for a home visit if you are housebound or are too ill to visit the practice.
Our Paramedic or GP will only visit you at home if they think that your medical condition requires it and may telephone you first to check if the visit is necessary and to decide if it is urgent. Please be willing to give information to enable a visit to be arranged.
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.
Changing an Existing Appointment
Please telephone the surgery if you need to change an existing appointment.
Text Reminder Service
You can now register to receive text messages on your phone about appointments and health care.
If you have provided us with your mobile number, this will be stored on your medical records.
When you make an appointment to be seen face to face at the surgery, you will receive a text message at the time of booking (although you can opt out of this if you let us know).
In order for this to work well, please ensure that you have given us the correct mobile number and let us know if you change it.
Sign Up for SMS Reminders
Late For Your Appointment
Please attend your appointment on time. If you are late you may not be seen. If you are not seen you will not be able to re-arrange your appointment until the next working day, except if you have a medical emergency that needs immediate attention.
Interpreter
If you require an interpreter to attend an appointment with you, please let reception know and they will arrange this.
Chaperones
A chaperone is a person who is present during a consultation between a healthcare professional and a patient who acts as a witness for both people during a medical examination or procedure. This safeguards both the patient and the clinician.
All patients are entitled to have a chaperone for any consultation, examination or procedure where they feel one is needed. This chaperone will be a member of the practice staff because a family member or friend cannot act as a chaperone (they may stay in the room with your consent).
If you prefer to have a chaperone for an appointment, please let your Doctor or Nurse know who will be able to arrange this or you can ask for a chaperone when you book your appointment. Your Doctor or Nurse may also ask for a chaperone to be present during certain consultations.
Click here to read our patient policy.
GP Consulting Days
The table below shows where each GP works during the week.
SSG: Dr Sian Griffiths
LM: Dr Laura Morgan
TR: Dr Tom Riddington
|
Atrium Health Centre |
Crossways Surgery |
||
AM |
PM |
AM |
PM |
|
Monday |
TR |
TR |
||
Tuesday |
SSG |
SSG |
LM |
no GP |
Wednesday |
LM |
LM |
SSG |
SSG |
Thursday |
TR |
TR |
LM |
no GP |
Friday |
LM |
LM |
TR |
TR |
Missed telephone call-back policy
This policy is to provide information to patients on the process used by clinicians when a telephone call is requested\provided and what the process for call-backs by clinicians is if the requested telephone call is missed by you.
When a telephone call is arranged the receptionist will ask you to stay near your phone (whether it is landline or mobile) as the clinician will only try to call twice should you not pick up. A time frame for calls is between 8:30am and 1:30pm for AM calls and 3:00pm and 6:30pm for PM calls.
The clinician will then attempt to call you a maximum of twice.
If you do not answer on the second attempt (where possible) an answerphone message will be left by the clinician stating that this is the second attempt to call you and for you to call the surgery within the next 30 minutes to speak to the clinician or rebook for the next available routine appointment.
A text may also be sent (where possible) stating the same information.
Should you call the surgery back within the next 30 minutes then the reception team will check if the clinician is available to speak to you. If yes they will transfer you across, or if not they will make a note on the clinician’s screen for them to call you back asap.
If you are unable to contact the surgery within the 30-minute time frame then you will be offered the next available routine appointment.