Appointments

Doctors and nurses appointments are for 10 minutes. Sometimes you will need longer, for instance if you wish to discuss several problems. Please ask the receptionist if you are unsure.

Alconbury Telephone 01480 890281
Brampton Telephone 01480 454050

The Doctor does always try to keep to time, but can sometimes need more than 10 minutes with more complex cases. Please be patient if you are kept waiting as one day it may be you who needs the extra time.

What type of Appointment do I need to book?

Sometimes an appointment with a GP is not necessary our Nurses and Health Care Assistants (HCA’s) can often help.

Ask for a nurse appointment for the treatment of minor injuries, dressings, travel and other immunisations, ear syringing etc. Additionally, nurse practitioners are able to prescribe for some minor illnesses, under supervision by a doctor, from a limited formulary.

Health care assistants (HCAs) undertake the following tasks: blood tests, ECG, hearing tests, urinalysis, routine recording of blood pressure, new patient health checks.

If you are unsure about the kind of appointment you need please check our ‘Who do I See’ page or ask our receptionist team.

How long can I Expect to wait for a Appointment?

An ‘On The Day immediate appointment’ is for something that cannot wait and which requires attention today. Please be aware that we only have a certain number of urgent appointments every day and we are unable to offer more once these are booked. If we have reached capacity patients will be directed to 111 who are best placed to triage your needs and direct you to an appropriate alternative.
Urgent appointments will be booked from 48 hours up to 2 weeks ahead. We release a number of these appointments every day so if your routine matter becomes more urgent then please do contact us if you need to be seen sooner.
Routine appointments are currently being booked from within 2 weeks up to a month ahead. Routine appointments are released at least a month in advance to enable patients to book at their convenience. Please do remember that on occasion our schedules may be subject to change due to circumstances beyond our control.

What happens if I am Late for an Appointment?

If you are late for your appointment, it is possible that you will need to make another appointment. Putting late patients ahead of those already waiting inconveniences those patients. To protect and maintain the quality of care we provide to all our patients, practice policy is to remove from our list patients who abuse our services by persistently failing to attend appointments they have booked.

Non-urgent advice: Notice

Please inform reception as soon as possible if you are unable to attend for your appointment, so that we can give the appointment to another patient.

We do not operate personal lists – you can see the doctor of your choice. However, please bear in mind that we are a split-site practice and our doctors, some of whom are not full-time in the practice, work at both surgeries and this means they may not be working from your surgery everyday.

It is preferable for you to see the same doctor if you are being treated for an ongoing condition. If your problem is urgent you will be offered an appointment the same day, but this may not be with your usual doctor. If you request an urgent appointment you must be prepared to come to the surgery at the time of the offered appointment.

If your child or you are very ill and need to see a doctor very quickly, please tell the receptionist.

Patients with Particular needs

Wheelchair Access – Each of our surgeries is accessible to patients using a wheelchair. We also have a parking space outside each of our practices which are reserved for patients displaying a disabled sticker.

Hearing Problems – For patients with hearing problems, we can arrange special facilities. Please notify reception.

Translation / Interpretation – We can arrange interpretation and translation services in person or by phone for patients who do not speak English. Please let us know if you need this service when booking an appointment.

Telephone Advice

Telephone advice is available by booking a telephone appointment with a GP online or by contacting reception who can do this for you. If your problem is urgent then please say so.

The receptionist will be happy to take a message and arrange a time for you to talk to the doctor or nurse. If your problem is urgent please say so.

Home Visits

If possible please try to telephone reception before 10:00 if you require a home visit.

You may only request a home visit if you are housebound or are too ill to visit the practice. Your GP will only visit you at home if they think that your medical condition requires it and will also decide how urgently a visit is needed.

Your GP may ask our Paramedics to conduct a home visit on their behalf. They can help assess you and ensure that appropriate care and support is put in place to meet your patient needs.

You can 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.

Referral to a Specialist

What happens when you are referred by your GP to see a specialist?

This leaflet describes what you can expect to happen when your GP refers you to see a specialist or consultant, at a hospital or a community health centre.

The leaflet can be found here

Patient Referral Leaflet