Appointments

We run all our surgeries by an appointment only system. Please call in or telephone on 01434 602237. You can also sign up, at the practice, for appointments-online which will allow you to book an appointment with a GP at your conveneince, not just when we are open.  Appointments are available upto two weeks in advance.

Appointments are available both in advance and on the same day. If you require a same day appointment, the earlier you telephone the better. 

We try to make sure you see the doctor of your choice but if they are not available we may ask you to see another doctor.

If you are too ill to come to the surgery and you require a visit at home, please call the surgery before 10am. Home visits take up much more of a doctor’s time than a consultation in the surgery, so if you are mobile please come into the surgery to be seen.

There is always a high demand for appointments so please remember to cancel if you find you are unable to attend.  Even a cancellation at short notice may mean the appointment can be filled and another patient seen.

There are occasions when doctors run late during surgeries which may mean that you wait beyond your appointment time.  This is usually because patients present with more than one problem or that the problem is complex and can take longer than the allocated ten minute appointment slot to explain.  We will always try to advise if a doctor or nurse is running late but we ask that patients consider whether they may need to make a double appointment and to be aware that a single appointment slot is ten minutes.

The majority of our consulations are face to face, but occassionally you may only need to speak to a GP on the telephone rather than attend for an appointment.  This may be for a medication query or if the Doctor has asked you to attend for a review but the condition is now resolved.  Please ask a receptionist and if they consider this would be appropriate and they will take your telephone number and the GP will do their best to ring you back at a pre arranged time. 

Many of our clinics are run by specially trained Practice Nurses or other qualified staff, so it will not always be necessary for you to see a Doctor.  The receptionists may ask you a few questions when booking an appointment because we will always try and make sure you see the most appropriate clinician.  We can now offer selected appointments from 7.30 am and until 8.00pm with a practice nurse.

We are no longer permitted to make appointments with the District Nurse.  Please contact Northumberland Care Trust Community Services either in person at the office in the Primary Care Centre situated opposite our Reception desk or on 01434 613013.

Home Visits

If possible please try to telephone reception before 10am if you require a home visit.

A doctor or nurse may phone you back as it may be that your problem can be dealt with by telephone advice, or that it would be more appropriate to send a nurse, or indeed arrange a hospital attendance.

House visits are only available for patients who are housebound because of illness or disability.

Please remember that several patients can be seen in the practice in the time that it takes to make one home visit. There are also better facilities for examining and treating patients at the Health Centre.