Appointments
Routine appointments
The practice offers a choice of telephone consultations or face to face consultation. Depending on the nature of a patient’s medical condition, a video consultation can also be made. The quickest way to request an appointment, and to save you having to wait to speak to a receptionist, is to complete a Patches questionnaire, A clinician will review your request and someone will get back to you within two working days.
You can now use the internet to book and cancel appointments or consult with your GP in the following ways.
How to make an appointment
There are various methods by which an appointment can be booked:
PATCHS
Registered patients can use the PATCHS software to book for an appointment. The site also provides information on other services. The doctors will respond to your PATCHS request within 48 working hours. Please ensure you click on the Clinical option if you need an appointment. The Admin option is reviewed by non clinicians and unfortunately we are unable to book an appointment through this option. To register for PATCHs, you can register via this link: PATCHS
By Phone
Patients are able to call on 01895 237474 to book an appointment over the phone. Please note that our telephone lines can be busy.
Forward Planning
Patients are advised to plan and book appointments ahead of time. This helps the practice to manage and provide emergency care to patients who have URGENT needs and require to book same day appointments.
Failure to Attend for Appointment
The Practice takes a very serious view of Patients not attending for their appointments which are referred to as DNAs (Did Not Attend). We ask patients to cancel their appointments 12 hours to 24 hours to their appointment time to enable the practice to offer the appointment to another patient. All patients will be notified when they miss an appointment.
Chaperones
All patients are entitled to have a chaperone present for any consultation, examination or procedure where they feel one is required. The chaperone may be a family member or friend. On occasions you may prefer a formal chaperone to be present, i.e. a trained member of staff. Your healthcare professional may also require a chaperone to be present for certain consultations in accordance with our chaperone policy.
Urgent Appointments
Emergencies
Life Threatening Situations
If patients having life threatening situations, such as:
Chest pain,
Breathing difficulties
Clear signs of one side of the face sagging / slur in speech
MUST dial 999. Please do NOT call the practice
Urgent appointments will not necessarily be with the doctor of your choice. Patients will be booked with the doctor available on the day.
Examples of urgent situations:
Young children having very high temperature
A persistent medical condition which is not clearing after a week or two
Cancelling your appointment
GP appointment? Don’t need it? Cancel it!
We know people forget things, cancelling GP appointments being one of them. Remember to cancel your appointment if you don’t need it.
How to Cancel an Appointment
If you are unable to keep your appointment, please give us as much notice as possible so that your appointment can be offered to someone else.
If you are cancelling please telephone us on 01895237474 as soon as possible, and at least 30 minutes before your appointment time. This will enable us to offer your appointment to someone else.
Alternatively you can cancel your appointment online using The NHS App if you are signed up to the service.
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 notified less than 30 minutes before the appointment time will be recorded as failure to attend (DNA).
Repeated failure to attend booked appointments is a significant waste of NHS resources.
Consult with a Doctor online
You can also contact a Doctor online using our online triage system PATCH
All you will need to do is provide an email address and set up a password.
The new online consultation service PATCHS offers a secure, simple and flexible way for patients and carers to contact their GP practice – it will not replace face to face appointments, it is in addition to routine contact with Practices. This should not be used for emergencies when you should contact 999 or visit A&E.
By registering you will have easy access to a range of services from your computer or smartphone, including:
- Reporting symptoms to your GP
- Booking virtual appointments
- Accessing health advice
- Repeat medication
Extended access
Extended Access Hubs
There are now appointments with GPs and nurses available to book outside of the standard GP practice opening hours. Ask at reception for availability.
- Acorn Medical Centre Hub, 149 Long Lane Uxbridge Middx Weekdays 6.30pm to 8pm.
- Eastcote Health Centre Hub, Abbotsbury Gardens Pinner Middx HA4 7JT. Weekdays 6.30pm to 8pm. Saturday 9:00am-5pm.
- Mead House, Mead House Ln, Hayes UB4 8EW Weekdays 6.30pm to 8pm. Saturday 9:00am-5pm.
- Uxbridge Health Centre Hub, George Street Uxbridge Middx. Weekdays 6.30pm to 8pm. Saturday 9:00am-5pm. Sunday 9-1pm.
- Yiewsley Health Centre, 20 High St, West Drayton UB7 7DP Weekdays 6.30pm to 8pm
Who can book these appointments?
Improved Access appointments are available for all patients regardless of where they are located. This means that patients can be seen by a clinical professional 7 days a week, 52 weeks of the year.
How can I book an appointment?
In order to book these appointments, you can contact your surgery reception staff as normal or sent your request online via PATCHS
Home visits
Please telephone before 10 am. A doctor or nurse may phone you back as it may be that your problem can dealt with by telephone advice, video Call or that it would be more appropriate to send a nurse, or indeed arrange a hospital attendance.
Home visits are only available for patients who are housebound because of illness or disability.
There is a continuing need for home visits for the house bound. Children with fevers can safely be brought to the surgery.
It should be remembered that each home visit takes approximately 30 minutes which includes a doctor’s travelling and visiting time. For each home visit a doctor can see at least three patients in surgery.
Please think carefully before requesting a home visit and use this facility appropriately.
You can also be visited at home by a community nurse if you are housebound or unable to get to the surgery due to ill health
