In line with national changes to the GP Contract, and to help improve appointment access for patients, Our online Patient triage will be open from 8am to 6.30pm from 1st October.

Whether you make your request by phone, online, or by visiting the practice, you may be asked to provide some brief details so we can assess what’s best for you based on your clinical need.

Our GP-led triage team will review your request and respond within one working day to determine the most appropriate member of the team or local service to deal with it.

This could be:

• An appointment that day or a subsequent day
• A phone call that day or a subsequent day
• A text message responding to your query
• Advice to visit a pharmacy or another NHS service
• A routine appointment offer within 3 weeks

Please note: while online access will be open throughout the day, this extended access is only for requests that meet the definition of routine care, in line with changes to the national GP Contract. All other (non-routine) requests will continue to be managed according to safe daily capacity.

For appointments with our nursing team (blood tests, vaccinations, smears, dressings, long term condition reviews), please continue to call the surgery from 8am 

Routine requests are issues that:

• Are stable and non-urgent
• Don’t need a GP to make a decision that day
• Are safe to wait 7 days or more
• Can be managed through a pre-booked GP appointment

These are usually follow-up matters or things that don’t require immediate clinical input.

Examples include:

Following up normal test results

• A planned follow-up the doctor has already advised
• A medication review (not related to changing symptoms)
• Stable long-term condition check-ins where nothing new is happening

If, after reviewing your request, the clinician decides it meets the definition of routine, you will be sent a booking link.

If no routine appointments are immediately available, you still have access to one — you may just need to try again, as the system updates regularly when new slots are released.

You might be offered a face-to-face appointment or a phone call with a GP or other member of the clinical team.

If you have a carer, they can speak on your behalf with your consent.

You can ask to see a preferred healthcare professional, and the practice will try to meet your request. However, due to high demand, it may not always be possible to offer an appointment with your preferred clinician.

If you do not speak English, you can request interpretation services in your preferred language when making an appointment.

If you need extra support — such as longer appointments, a quiet space, wheelchair access, or information in a different format — please speak to a member of the reception team.

To cancel your appointment:

• use your NHS account (through the NHS website or NHS App)
• At Symonds Green Health Centre, we understand that there may be times when as a patient you find yourself running slightly late for your appointment. If this happens to you contact the receptionist to advise the GP. You may still be able to see the doctor however there may be a wait until the end of surgery
• However, if you are late for an appointment you may be asked to re-book.

If you have a telephone appointment with one of our clinicians. The clinician will try and ring you as near to that time as possible. We usually give you AM or PM option

Your phone must be able to receive telephone calls from withheld numbers as our telephone number is automatically withheld.

The clinician will call twice before they mark the appointment as a ‘Did Not Attend’ (DNA)

If you are housebound and need an appointment, we will do a home visit We will phone you first to understand what you need.

To request a home visit, it’s helpful if you contact the practice before 10am as possible.

Did you know that your local pharmacy can help you with a lot of minor ailments; and a lot of treatments are covered by the Pharmacies.