Appointments may be made by telephoning the surgery during our opening hours. Routine appointments may be made well in advance (maximum four weeks), which will enable us to offer you an appointment at a time more suitable to your requirements. If you cannot keep an appointment, please inform us as soon as possible as this will assist in over-subscribed situations.
Appointments with the GPs are 10 minutes in length. If you have more than 2 problems that you wish to discuss please book a double appointment so that the GP can cover all your concerns on the same day.
All registered patients can request an appointment with a GP or nurse irrespective of when they last consulted.
How to get most out of your GP practice appointment system
The National Health Service is a limited free resource so please help us to protect it by using its services appropriately. Before you request an appointment to see a clinician in the practice please read this guide to find out the best way to receive help for your problem. Please click on the links below to find out more about each local service or ask for a copy of the leaflet from reception.
Is the GP Practice the best place for your problem?
- Certain minor problems (Athlete’s foot, coughs and colds, cold sore, hay fever, head lice, conjunctivitis, nappy rash, indigestion and more) can be treated by a local pharmacist. Visit Pharmacy First website more information.
- Eye problems such as redness, sticky eye, watery eye, pain or discomfort, recent onset of flashes can be dealt with by a local optician. Visit Minor Eye Conditions Scheme website for more information.
- Feeling low, stressed or anxious – you can self-refer for Talking Therapies. This would be the same process your GP would have to follow and your waiting time may be shorter if you start the process yourself. Visit Talking Therapies website to start the process.
- Foot Health – you can self-refer to Community Podiatry or Happy Feet
- Maternity care – self-refer to one of the local hospitals to help them to start planning all your regular antenatal care. If this is your first pregnancy please book a routine appointment to see a GP for more advice. Visit Guy’s and St Thomas’s or King’s College Hospital websites.
- Pregnant under 18 weeks with pain, bleeding or sever vomiting – you can walk in to the Early Pregnancy Unit at GSTT for full assessment.
- The continence assessment – you can self-refer to a local hospital by calling 020 3049 4020 between 9am and 5pm (Monday to Friday).
- Certificates for sickness under 7 days – by law you can self-certify for an illness which lasted under 7 days. Fill in the Statutory Sick Pay form and take it back to your employer.
- Requests for blood tests – if you are requesting repeat or regular tests please tell our reception team and the request forms can normally be done without the need to see the GP.
- Requests for referrals/ further investigations/ medication following hospital appointment – please provide copies of discharge/clinic letters to our reception team and these can be normally arranged without seeing a GP.
- Any other non-medical issues for over 50s – if you need help with any issues affecting safe and independent living please tell us and our local primary care navigators will be in touch – see SAIL check list for all the issues that can be dealt with this way.
- If you are worried regarding a sexually transmitted infection you can contact www.sh24.org.uk for free advice and home testing kits, or attend one of the sexual health clinics at the borough or order visit I want prep now to find out more about PrEP medication.
- The Urgent Care Centre at Guy’s Hospital is an alternative to the emergency department (A&E) department for a range of minor injuries and urgent medical problems. It is a walk-in NHS service for patients whose condition is urgent enough that they cannot wait for the next GP appointment (usually within 48 hours) but who do not need emergency treatment at the A&E. The unit will usually treat patients with less serious injuries more quickly than the A&E. They treat minor injuries and illnesses, these include: broken bones, bites, burns and scalds, infections, minor illnesses in children and adults including fever, rashes, sprains, wounds.
- For more information on how to order Hepatitis C drugs visit http://www.hepctrust.org.uk/information/treatment/buying-hepatitis-c-drugs-online .
Choice Of Practitioner
Patients have a right to book with a GP of preference except when their condition is urgent requiring same day attention. Patients who wish to see a particular GP should understand and accept that they may have to wait longer to see this GP depending on their popularity.
Extended Hours
We now offer early and late appointments. These are available from 7:00am on Mondays and until 7:30pm on Tuesdays. The clinics are extremely popular and are usually booked well in advance.
Urgent Appointment
The practice has urgent appointments that can be booked on the same day by ringing at 9:00am for the morning appointments or 2:30pm for the afternoon appointments. These appointments are for acute medical problems and are not for medical certificates or medication reviews or for renewing prescriptions.
