Booking An Appointments:
We recommend anyone who has online access to use our PATCHS service. This will help speed up our response to you and you’ll be able to skip the phone queue. If you’re unable to use PATCHS and you wish to see a doctor, you will be booked on a telephone triage slot – this means the doctor will telephone you and, if needed, will arrange a face-to-face appointment with you.
We are offering all possible options to patients to contact Practice to book an appointment either by calling practice, visiting practice and speak to a member of our reception team, using NHS App, completing an online PATCHS request or using our unique PATCHS Telephone Assistant between 08:00 till 10:30 AM from Monday to Friday to avoid busy time in the morning and waiting on the phone.
Should you require any other appointments (such as blood tests and nurse reviews) then please speak to our reception team who will be able to assist you.
Appointments are offered on a first come first serve basis and are based on safe clinical limit each day.
PATCHS Telephone Assistant automated appointment booking system
You can now submit PATCHS request via phone by pressing option 1 between 08:00 am and 10:30 am. Please note that we need your correct telephone number in order for this system to work. If you are having any issues, please speak to a member of our reception team who will gladly assist you.
Home visits
We require patients to call us as soon as possible on the day a visit is needed, ideally before 10:00 so we can ensure enough time is allocated for a visit. Please give the receptionist as much information as possible to enable the doctor to prioritise your visit.
Home visits are only available to housebound patients. The final decision about the suitability for a home visit rests with the doctor. We are unable to advise on the time the doctor will visit so please tell the receptionist if you have any time constraints.
Home visits are reserved for patients who are housebound or if it is considered that their clinical condition is likely to get worse if they travelled to the Practice in a car.
If you request a home visit, you may initially receive a telephone consultation from a Practice Clinician, who will discuss your symptoms with you. The Clinician will decide on the most suitable place and time for your condition to be assessed.
The most appropriate clinician conducts the home visit. This may be a GP, Advanced Nurse Practitioner, Paramedic, Physician Associate, amongst other clinicians.
Home visit requests must be made before 10.00am.
If there is a life threatening emergency patients are advised to ring the emergency services directly and dial 999. We do not provide emergency home visits. Requesting a visit from a GP Practice in this situation can delay life-saving treatment.
Life threatening emergencies include the following:
- Myocardial infarction (Heart attack)
- Severe shortness of breath
- Severe haemorrhage (Bleeding)
- Suspected stroke
- Collapse
We encourage all patients to use Telephone Consultation or a Face to Face consultation at the Practice. In the Practice the Clinical Team have access to the full clinical record and access to support services and therefore the consultation is of better quality.
Home visits are not considered an efficient or effective use of Clinician time. Visiting 1 patient at home usually results in 4 appointments being missed at the surgery.
The practice is not responsible for arranging transport to the surgery.
Home visits will not be undertaken for social / transport reasons.
We thank you for your consideration!
Breast Feeding Friendly Practice
It is widely acknowledged that breastfeeding is the healthiest way for a woman to feed her baby.
The Practice recognises the benefits of breastfeeding to both mothers and infants and therefore encourages and supports staff members to breastfeed their babies, including their return to work after their maternity leave. (Source: Equality and Human Rights Commission)
Breastfeeding includes expressing milk and the same rights under this Policy will apply to employees who wish to express milk to give to their baby.
The Practice will not discriminate against any woman in her chosen method of infant feeding and will fully support the visitor/patient
- All mothers will be enabled and supported to feed their infants in the Practice premises.
- Signs welcoming breastfeeding will be displayed in the waiting room.
- The Practice will ensure that its staff members make comfortable arrangements for mothers who would prefer privacy to breastfeed.
We are an Armed Forces veteran friendly accredited GP practice.
Armed Forces Veteran support and information
With an estimated 2.4 million veterans in the UK, a GP surgery, like ours, may see a veteran patient every day on average. Being able to identify and support veteran patients is crucial to ensuring best outcomes, as research shows that some veteran patients may face different health challenges to the general population.
How we identify military veterans
When registering at our surgery, it is important that you let us know if you are a military veteran. Details on how to register with the surgery can be found here and it is something we ask as part of our new patient questionnaire when registering.
It is important to tell us that you are a military veteran so we can make sure this is included in your medical records. We are then able to ask for your military health records if you wish.
Being flagged as a veteran in your NHS medical notes will help to ensure that you are able to access specific veteran’s health services, such as those for mental health, hearing loss, limb amputation and wheelchairs.
It also means that where you have an illness or medical condition that has been caused by your time in service or occurred whilst you were in the military, you may be entitled to a shorter hospital waiting list. This is part of the health commitments of the Armed Forces Covenant.
With your consent, it can sometimes be helpful for your doctor to refer you to specific service charities, such as SSAFA, Royal British Legion, BLESMA or Help for Heroes. They can often offer significant help and support, even if they do not all deliver health care.
If you are already registered at our surgery and you are not sure if it is flagged on your medical record, please let us know by contacting reception and this can be added to your medical records.
Support for military veterans
Please see below services dedicated to supporting military veterans:
OpCOURAGE: mental health support for veterans – Mental Health & Wellbeing Service
Benefits and concessions for the armed forces, veterans and their families: Citizens Advice
Southport Armed Forces & Veterans Breakfast Club: Local Social Support Event
Online services for military veterans
If you are a veteran, you may find it useful to sign up to online services to manage your appointments, order medication, view test results online etc.
Online services – NHS (www.nhs.uk)
