Appointments

Appointments with the doctors, nurses and health care assistants (HCAs) may be made by telephoning 01634 290333 between 8.30am and 6pm. We have GP appointments each day which are reserved for a new urgent problem (not for an on-going complaint) and also routine appointments which are bookable up to four weeks in advance.

Reception Triage
As part of our commitment to patient care, in December 2019 we undertook and audit and review of the type of appointments we offer and how patients access them.

Our aim has always been to ensure patients receive the most appropriate care at the most appropriate time.  To facilitate this, our GPs introduced a new system and our receptionists will now ask a number of questions relating to your problem. 

Our reception team are fully trained and have full access to your records. Their role is to support you with accessing the service and we would ask that you work with us to continue embedding this new service, for the benefit of all our patients. They also work to the same level of confidentiality as the doctors.

Since all in this experienced Team are:

• Trained appropriately in confidentiality protocols approved by the Surgery Partners &
• Trusted to operate as extensions of our GP’s ears and eyes,

GP Partner permission has therefore been given to the Reception Team to ask screening and triage questions as laid down in a triage template.

This gives the member of staff that will deal with your condition relevant background information in preparation for your consultation. 

The answers you provide will help the reception staff deal with your request.  It will also help the clinicians as they will have some history for when you attend.

If a patient refuses to disclose information:

• They may not be given the correct appointment, based on their presentation.
• They may be offered another option, such as a telephone call with 111

You can also book using the following online methods:

• Request an appointment online
• Use our online services
• Via the NHS app

All patients are entitled to have a chaperone present for any consultation, examination or procedure where they feel one is required. You may wish to have a chaperone present i.e. a member of our clinical team, though at busy times the chaperone may be a member of our support team. Wherever possible please make this request at the time of booking your appointment, so that we can make the necessary arrangements.  

Whilst we will always do our best to provide a chaperone if requested, this may necessitate us re-scheduling your appointment for a time when a chaperone can be present. Your healthcare professional may also require a chaperone to be present, for certain consultations, in accordance with our chaperone policy.

You can now register to receive information by text message on your phone regarding appointments and health care. 

If you wish to register for this messaging service please fill out the consent form.

New Data Protection Regulations from May 2018 (GDPR)
Under the new data protection regulations introduced from 25th May 2018, we will continue to contact patients via text messages regarding the delivery of care if they have provided consent to do so.

If practices are sending messages about recommended treatment for the management of a specific health issue, then this is defined as providing appropriate care for patients, not marketing purposes.

If you would like ot opt out of any future contact via text messaging, then please complete the form and indicate in the marked section.

You must give your employer a doctor's 'fit note' (sometimes called a 'sick note') if you've been ill for more than 7 days in a row and have taken sick leave. This includes non-working days, such as weekends and bank holidays.

Visit our Sickness Certificates page

Information and advice for travelling abroad.

Visit our Travel Information page

Whilst we encourage our patients to come to the surgery, where we have the proper equipment and facilities available, we do appreciate this is not always possible. In this respect, if you do need a home visit, you can help us by calling reception before 10am.

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. Please bear this in mind and be prepared to provide suitable details to enable the doctor to schedule house calls.

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.

A doctor is available on call to deal with serious illness that cannot wait until normal surgery hours. This service is staffed mainly by local GPs. If you need advice or treatment phone the surgery number and your call will be diverted to Medvivo. Your telephone call will be recorded.

The local walk-in centre can be found at: Balmoral Gardens, Gillingham, Kent ME7 4PN. Telephone number: 01634 331177

Out-of-hours services are generally busy so please think carefully before asking to see a doctor and only do so if you genuinely cannot wait until the surgery re-opens.