From 19 October 2021, a new timetable is in place for patient phone calls to the Medical Centre Reception. This is to streamline our incoming calls and so help patients get through to priority services more efficiently.
The main differences from previous operation are:
- Routine enquiries can only be made at certain times. ‘Routine’ includes administration and results – there are now two available time slots for results, one in the morning and one in the afternoon.
- Reception closes at 5pm for all calls, except for medical emergencies.
Depending on the assistance required, you should phone during the appropriate time window as shown below. Reception staff can only deal with calls received during the correct time window:
Timetable
08:00 – 10:30 Requests for Home visits and morning triage
10:30 – 13:30 Routine enquiries
13:30 – 15:00 Requests for afternoon triage.
15:00 – 17:00 Routine enquiries
17:00 – 18:00 Medical emergencies only
Home Visits: For patients who need a face to face consultation, the best place is in the Medical Centre, wherever feasible. Home visits are appropriate for housebound patients only. A nurse or GP will telephone you to discuss the problem and to allow them to decide if a home visit is appropriate.
Morning / Afternoon Triage: These time slots are for patients who want an appointment to speak to a nurse or GP and potentially also be seen that same morning or afternoon if appropriate.
Routine Enquiries: This includes routine appointments for blood tests, smears and other procedures carried out by the Treatment Room or Practice Nurse, Sick lines, test results, telephone consultations for result or medication reviews and general administration requests.
