Appointments
Appointments System
Thanks to our innovative system, doctors/nurse practitioners are able to see the most ill patients first.
Patients also have an increased chance of seeing their Clinician of choice if they are available.
For advice or to make an appointment, contact us on 01642 827697. We now offer a same day triage calls for most acute issues and eConsult or prebookable appointments for routine problems.
If booking an appointment with the nurse or for bloods, this is completed in the traditional way.
The receptionist will ask you for the patient's name and a contact number. If you need to speak to a clinician urgently, because it's an emergency, tell the receptionist straight away.
The receptionist will ask you for some brief details of your health problem this will help to prioritise your call more efficently and ensure the clinician has all relevent information with regards to your issue.
You do not have to tell us this information if you prefer to keep this private, however if you can, it helps the clinician to decide whom to prioritise for a call back based on clinical need. Wherever possible the receptionist will try to arrange for you to speak to your chosen clinician.
The clinician will call you back as soon as they can. If you want us to call you between certain times then tell us and, where possible, we will arrange that. You can then talk to the clinician about your health problem in the same way you do if you come into the surgery for your appointment. If the clinician thinks that a face-to-face appointment is still required, he or she will make an appointment for you.
Waiting Times
We expect to see you as near to your appointment time as possible but certainly within 30 minutes. If we run late then we shall inform you so that you can re-book if necessary.
Urgent Appointments
In the need of an urgent appointment you can proceed to use our e-consult tool as there is a fully trained clinician triaging all e-consults between the hours of 8am-4pm.
Alternatively, please call the surgery on 01642 827697 and tell the receptionist straight away you need to speak to a clinician as it is an emergency.
As the surgery is open 8am-6pm, you outside of these ours you will need to call 111. If the situation is life threatening please call 999.
Extended Practice Opening Hours
To improve primary care services outside normal hours, patients can now access an enchanced service which is bookable via the GP surgery. Appointments are available from 6pm to 9pm. Please above link with more information.
To see or speak to a clinician urgently after 21.00 – Monday to Friday or 08:00 to 20:00 weekends & Bank holidays please ring 111.
Please note that patients are unable to collect prescriptions or any other documents from this service, please continue to do so in normal surgery hours.
During normal hours patients should continue to contact Acklam Medical Centre.
Home Visits
Please telephone as early as possible to request a home visit. Visits are very time-consuming and thus limit the number of appointments we can offer, so please attend the surgery if at all possible, rather than request a visit.
Home visits are meant for house bound patients who are too ill to be brought to the surgery. Children can nearly always be transported to the surgery.
Please remember that several patients can be seen in the practice in the time that it takes to make one home visit. There are also better facilities for examining and treating patients at the surgery.
Referrals
Hospital appointments are sometimes wasted because we and/or the Hospital Records Department have not been informed of a change of address or telephone number.
Please tell us if you have changed your address or telephone number!
Waiting times vary tremendously, but you should be notified of your appointment fairly soon after your GP has made the referral. If not, do check with us.
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Cancel an Appointment
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 may be 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.
Text Reminder Service
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.