How to manage your appointments

Our on the day appointments are released every morning at 8am by telephoning the surgery on 01382 778881.

As well as same day appointments, we also offer prebookable appointments for one, two or seven days in advance.

When you get in touch, we’ll ask what you need help with. All our administration team are fully trained in care navigation to signpost patients to the most suitable professional. 

We will use the information you give us to guide you to the most suitable doctor, nurse or health professional to help you.

If all the routine on the day appointments are taken but you feel your medical problem is more urgent in nature and cannot wait until the next working day, please advise the admin team.

The admin team will ask for some information including a contact telephone number and pass the details to one of the GPs for a call back. Depending on GP capacity, if you do not receive a telephone call before 6pm that day, then please call the next working day and arrange a routine appointment or call 111, if you feel your problem cannot wait.  The doctor will deal only with urgent issue during that appointment and may ask you to book a routine appointment to discuss any non-urgent matters.

• phone us on 01382 778881, Monday to Friday from 8am

The GPs at Grove Health Centre work a variety of sessions per week within the practice. Some of the GPs are also involved with other work within the NHS. Below you will find details of when each of the GPs are usually available within the practice:

Home visits are reserved for our housebound or terminally ill patients only. This is because ALL other patients are better assessed within the practice environment. Should you feel a home visit is required, please contact the surgery as early as possible and preferably before 10am. This allows the visiting doctor to prioritise the visits.

Home visits are performed at the doctor’s discretion and you will ONLY be visited if the doctor agrees that it is necessary. Therefore a doctor may call you back to assess the urgency and nature of your problem; sometimes telephone advice will suffice or you may be requested to attend the surgery. The doctor may ask another member of the healthcare team to attend if they feel that is more appropriate.

We do not offer a choice of doctor for home visits, as it will be the visiting doctor that attends. Anyone requesting a home visit for a child will be asked to attend the surgery.

Lack of transport or childcare are not valid reasons for requesting a home visit.

If you feel your problem could be dealt with over the telephone, we do offer a number of telephone appointments with GPs each day.  Some problems cannot be discussed over the telephone but the admin staff would guide appropriately.  If a telephone call is being arranged, the staff will take some details, including your contact number will give you a 1 hour slot, during which the GP will endeavour to call you on the number provided. We ask that you make yourself available to answer your telephone during that timeframe.  You may be asked to book an alternative appointment if you fail to answer during the appointment timeframe.  Please appreciate, as with any other appointment, the GP may be running late.

The GPs will on occasions request a member of the admin team to arrange a telephone appointment to discuss a result, medication request or hospital letter. At the time of booking the receptionist will take your contact details and advise of either a morning or afternoon timeframe.

If you cannot attend an appointment for any reason please inform us as soon as possible in order for us to give the slot to someone else.

To cancel your appointment:

• phone us on 01382 778881, Monday to Friday from 8am
• reply CANCEL to your appointment reminder text message

If you need medical help now, use NHS 24 or Call 111.

NHS 111 online is for people aged 5 and over. Call 111 if you need help for a child under 5.

Call 999 in a medical or mental health emergency. This is when someone is seriously ill or injured and their life is at risk.

Please tell us:

• if there’s a specific doctor, nurse or other health professional you would prefer to respond
• if you would prefer to consult with the doctor or nurse by phone or face-to-face
• if you need an interpreter
• if you have any other access or communication needs