Opening Hours

Reception and telephone services will be available throughout opening hours. The telephone service will have an automatic transfer to Herts Urgent Care outside of 8.00 am - 6.30 pm as appointment outside of these times and on Saturday’s are for routine bookable appointments, in line with Department of Health guidance.

Nursing appointments may also be available during extended hours, please ask for details when booking

If you are registered for on-line services or for information see the home page

 Click here to BOOK, view or cancel your appointment on-line

THE APPOINTMENT SYSTEM

Forward booking routine appointments

Whenever possible appointments should be booked in advance. Appointments can be booked up to 14 days in advance, although some are held for short term problems and are bookable the day before. The urgent access clinic is only available for issues that cannot wait until tomorrow.

Routine appointments are bookable on-line via our website. If you would like a username and password to access this system please contact the surgery

Urgent access clinic

In response to patients’ comments over the last year we are changing the way we deal with requests for appointments to see a health care professional on the day.

When you telephone the surgery and state that your condition requires treatment that day, you will be asked for a very brief indication of the problem by the receptionist so that we can prioritise who sees you. You will then be offered an appointment time

• You can choose a telephone consultation in which case the nurse practitioner or doctor will call you back and discuss you symptoms, or
• You can choose to come to the surgery and be seen

Appointment times given are approximate as due to the nature of urgent matters the time that they take to be dealt with is unpredictable, please be patient.

Nurse Practitioners play an increasing important role in the treatment of minor illnesses within general practice. Our nurse practitioners have been specifically trained in this area.

For Treatment Or Advice On The Day
Alternatively, you may contact NHS Direct on 0845 4647 for health advice 24 hours a day.

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THE APPOINTMENT SYSTEM TO SEE THE NURSE

Nurse clinics run each week and can be booked in advance for:

• Blood pressure checks
• Ear syringing
• Wound review and dressings
• Stitch and clip removal
• New patient medical checks
• Vaccinations (child and adult)
• Smears
• Travel advice and vaccinations
• Lifestyle and dietary advice
• Family planning advice and checks
• Pill checks
• Asthma advice / annual checks
• Diabetes advice
• Coronary heart disease annual checks

Inform the receptionist of the purpose for your appointment to ensure that you are booked in with the correct health care professional.

Checking In

We have a touch-screen self check-in system to the right of the main doors. Using this is simple and will speed up your arrival. Please take note of the message displayed as you may be told additional information. If you are unable to use the screen please see the receptionist at the front desk as usual.

Being Called To The Consulting Room

You will normally be called to a consulting room by the display boards in the waiting room. There are two boards so they should be visible from all areas. When the doctor or nurse is ready for you the screen will beep and then display your name and the room to go to.

If you will have any trouble reading this board please mention it to the receptionist on arrival and other suitable arrangements will be made to call you.

Home Visits

Please try to come to the surgery whenever possible, as home visits are essentially for the terminally ill and housebound patients.

If you are too ill to come to the surgery please telephone 0844 477 3328 (select option 2) before 10.30am.

The receptionist will ask for your telephone number and the doctor may telephone you back to discuss your request.

Telephone Advice

Health information and advice can be obtained 24 hours a day by contacting NHS Direct, a 24-hour nurse-led advice line, on 0845 4647. 

Our practice nurses are available should you need telephone advice from them. Leave a message with the receptionist so that the nurses may contact you as soon as possible.

If you need to speak to a doctor urgently during the day the receptionist may suggest a suitable time to ring back, to avoid interrupting surgery. Whenever possible try not to ring on anyone else’s behalf as we must maintain confidentiality at all times.