Appointments

Consult with a Doctor online

You can also use PATCHs to contact your surgery online.

We know that you don’t just need medical support during practice hours and that you may need advice at any time of day. PATCHs gives you 24-hour access to a wealth of health advice, self-care tips and information on your next steps. Plus, you can submit request forms directly to the surgery for review if you need further guidance.

Why use PATCHs?

Round the clock advice: Access a wealth of health advice at any time of day or night. Accurate medical advice: Receive tailored advice and information based on your symptoms. Less time on the phone: Submit your form online so you spend less time waiting in phone queues. Clinically approved information: All the advice and information available through PATCHs is clinically approved and provided by medical professionals.

Enhanced Access

The Enhanced Access Hours Service makes it easier for you to get an appointment at a time that suits you, including evenings and weekends.  The service offers pre-bookable, routine primary care appointments with a range of clinicians including GPs, Nurses and Health Care Assistants.

In the first instance we would advise patients to contact their individual GP practice for more information on their extended access service, however more information can be found here: Enhanced Access | primarycarecheshire

How do I book an appointment?

Contact your GP practice in the usual way to request an appointment. Some appointments will be available to book up to 2 weeks in advance and some will be available to book on the day.

What can I be seen for?

A range of usual services will be available, from GP or Nurse appointments to Health Checks and Medication Reviews.

Who will I be seen by?

Your appointment will be with an experienced clinician. It is unlikely that you will be seen by your own GP or Nurse. If you would prefer to see your usual GP or Nurse, please book an appointment with your registered practice during their normal opening hours.

Will the clinician I see have access to my medical record during my appointment?

Your medical record will, with your consent, be available to the clinician that sees you. Your record will be updated at the time of your appointment. An appointment with this service will be just like an appointment at your own GP practice.

Home Visits

Whilst we encourage our patients to come to the surgery, where we have the proper equipment and facilities available, we do appreciate this is not always possible. In this respect, if you do need a home visit, you can help us by calling reception before 10:00am. Requests received after midday will normally be visited the following day unless medically urgent.

You may only request a home visit if you are housebound or are too ill to visit the practice. Your GP will only visit you at home if they think that your medical condition requires it and will also decide how urgently a visit is needed. Please bear this in mind and be prepared to provide suitable details to enable the doctor to schedule house calls. Lack of personal transport will not be considered a valid reason for a home visit.

You can also be visited at home by a community nurse if you are referred by your GP. You should also be visited at home by a health visitor if you have recently had a baby or if you are newly registered with a GP and have a child under five year

Chaperones

All patients are entitled to have a chaperone present for any consultation, examination or procedure where they feel one is required. This chaperone may be a family member or friend. On occasions you may prefer a formal chaperone to be present, i.e. a trained member of staff.

Wherever possible we would ask you to make this request at the time of booking the appointment so that arrangements can be made and your appointment is not delayed in any way. Where this is not possible we will endeavour to provide a formal chaperone at the time of request. However occasionally it may be necessary to reschedule your appointment.

The Medical Protection Society has produced the following guidance for Patients and Practices.

Ten best practice points for the use of chaperones:

1. Any patient can request a chaperone for any consultation. As this will usually require a second clinician to attend, please give us as much advance notice as possible so we can make a chaperone available.
2. Chaperones should be offered to patients for intimate examinations. Your GP/ Nurse should consider what defines “intimate” and should judge this from the patient’s perspective.
3. We must all be aware of and respect cultural differences. Religious beliefs may also have a bearing on the patient’s decision over whether to have a chaperone present.
4. It is Practice policy that the best person to have act as a chaperone would be a member of the clinical team. That clinician will have been fully trained to act as a clinical chaperone.
5. The patient should be introduced to the chaperone before the examination can proceed. The chaperone will need to be present during the examination.
6. A clinician may wish to have a chaperone present for their own reputational protection.
7. We will never force a chaperone on an unwilling patient. If this facility is declined by a patient the clinician should note that in the patient’s medical records.
8. If the clinician does not wish to proceed in the absence of a chaperone, they should explain this to the patient and the reasons why. The patient might then reconsider or agree to see a different doctor on another occasion.
9. The clinician should not assume that a chaperone is not needed just because they are the same sex as the patient.
10. Using a chaperone every time you examine a patient is impractical – the patient and the clinician should use their judgment about individual situations to decide when a chaperone is appropriate.

Knowing which clinician to see

Are you aware that many of the conditions which you visit your GP practice for can be seen by one of our Nurse Practitioners?

If you feel you have any of the following symptoms you can now book an appointment online via patient access with a Nurse Practitioner. On booking please state the problem for which you are attending. If you leave this blank we will need to contact you to ensure that it is appropriate for a Nurse Practitioner. If you are unsure if the symptoms you have are appropriate for a Nurse Practitioner then please contact the surgery on 01244 325421.

Conditions that can be seen by a Nurse Practitioner:

• Abdominal Pain
• Acutely Unwell Children (Including with fever). Aged 1 year and over.
• Bites & Stings
• Back Pain
• Chest Infection (Including Asthma / COPD / Bronchiectasis)
• Constipation
• Sore Throats
• Diarrhoea & Vomiting
• Emergency Contraception
• Ear infections
• Eye Infections
• Hay fever
• Headache for more than 12 hours
• Impetigo
• Lacerations / Bruising
• Limb / Joint Pain (no injury)
• Limb / Joint Injury (more than 48 hours ago)
• Minor Head Injury (not knocked out, not vomiting and you are not taking Warfarin)
• Neck Pain
• Nosebleeds
• Spots & Rashes (Including Eczema & Psoriasis)
• Removal of Superficial Splinters
• Small burns (not caused by electricity or chemicals)
• Thrush / Cystitis Symptoms
• Urine Infections
• Vaginal bleeding/discharge