Our appointment system was set up to enable us to accommodate Government guidelines on access to a GP within 48 hours.

From surveys which we conduct every year it is clear that not everyone understands the appointments system, which has been designed to try and achieve a balance between the need to see people speedily but also to offer some appointments in advance.

How to make appointments

We undertake to see any patient who contacts us by 10.30am the same day, even for non-urgent problems. We will also see patients who contact us later in the day if the problem is urgent.

Approximately half of our doctor's appointments are pre-bookable up to seven days in advance, though there is no restriction on telephone appointments, minor operations or booking appointments with the nurses.

Telephone appointments are a convenient alternative for those problems which do not require a face to face consultation, e.g. for advice or follow up. It is also worth noting that our senior nurse is trained in treating minor illnesses and the nurses are also able to offer contraception, HRT checks, smoking advice/prescriptions and travel vaccination advice.

Our two surgeries are linked by computer so that appointments can be made from either surgery. However, due to the small capacity of the branch surgery, at 38 Warwick Avenue, it may not always be possible to obtain an appointment there on any given day because of high demand. In this case patients will be asked to attend 5 Heathville Road. It is hoped that, in the long term, this problem will be overcome by a new surgery development in Tuffley.

We try and enable patients to see the doctor of their choice and in most instances this will be possible. However, there may be times when you cannot obtain an appointment with your first choice of doctor because he/she is already fully booked, or away. This is not ideal but we like to think that all of our doctors and nurses will provide you with a first class service. We conduct regular and detailed patient satisfaction surveys.

We realize that no appointments system is perfect but we have found that our ability to see patients quickly is necessary and very popular and we hope that you find it helpful and convenient.

These should only be requested by patients who are too ill to travel to the surgery.

We would be grateful if you could phone before 10.30am to enable the doctors to plan their rounds. Emergencies will be dealt with straight away.

Emergency Cases

In an emergency, please phone the surgery. The receptionist will contact the doctor on call.

Out of surgery hours - Between the hours of 6.30pm - 8.00am you need to ring 0845 220220. At all other times ring 01452 528299.

The doctor's surgery will not be interrupted, except in cases of emergency. You may wish to book a telephone consultation for which you can ask the receptionist to book and the doctor will call you back at a given time.

Results of tests are only given by our secretarial staff and, therefore, you will need to ring between 11.30 - 12.30 Monday - Friday and ask to speak to your doctors' secretary.