Notice to Patients
The surgery is fully open and offering a full range of services either face to face or by telephone, but we have made some important changes to how you can access the team at Lyndhurst Medical Centre and how we process your queries.
Routine Appointments with a GP
If you need a routine appointment, you can call the surgery reception and book a routine face to face or telephone consultation with a GP but this will be at least two weeks in advance. If you are unable to wait this length of time please complete an AccuRx (on-line consultation), which will allow the practice team to triage your request and handle your query or problem in the most effective time appropriate manner. Routine appointments can also be booked online via the NHS App.
Urgent Appointments
For urgent appointments, you will be asked to complete an online consultation (AccuRx). This will allow the practice team to triage your request and deal with your query or problem in the most effective time appropriate manner.
Online Consultation – AccuRx
The eConsult can be completed online by clicking ‘consult our Doctors on line' or download the NHS app on your smart phone. Please note this service is only available between 7.30am to 6.30pm, Monday to Friday.
If you do not have access to the internet or a completed eConsult 'fails' please contact the surgery reception and a member of staff will complete an eConsult Lite, which will be triaged in the same way as an eConsultation.
If you experience problems or have any questions, please contact a member of the reception team who will be happy to help you.
Please note the eConsult service is only available for self-help and pharmacy advice over weekends and Bank Holidays. If you have a medical problem, please use the 111 online service which you can access here - NHS 111 online or by calling 111. If you have an emergency that needs immediate attention, call 999.
Appointments with a Practice Nurse
Our Practice Nurses are providing appointments for our full range of services and appointments can be booked via the surgery reception or by completing this online form.
If you need help when we are closed
- Use NHS 111 online (111.nhs.uk) or call 111. 111 online is for people aged 5 and over. Call 111 if you need help for a child under 5.
- Out of hours information
- If it’s a life-threatening emergency call 999.
Cancelling or changing an appointment
If you can not make your appointment let us know as soon as you can so another patient can book the appointment time. You can cancel or change your appointment:
Chaperones
If you would like a chaperone to be present during a consultation please inform the receptionist either at the time of booking the appointment or when you arrive for your appointment at the surgery.
Appointments
Telephone 01322 525000 or 01322 558085
The appointment system operates both for your convenience and to aid the Doctor.
All sugeries are be appointment only. Appointments are generally 10 minutes long and may be booked between Monday and Friday by calling into the Surgery or telephoning on the above number.
Patients can register for Online Services, which allows you to book, cancel or change appointments online. For more information visit our Online Services page.
Do plan ahead for non-urgent appointments by booking as far as possible in advance, as your usual doctor may not be available for several days. It should be noted that each of the doctors based at the surgery operates different appointment systems which, in some cases, restrict the number of days in advance that bookings can be booked. To keep the surgeries running as smoothly as possible, please remember the following points:
- Please arrive on time for your appointment. Patients who arrive more than 15 minutes late for their appointment may not be seen.
- An appointment is for one person only.
- Children under the age of 16 should be accompanied by an adult, preferably a parent.
- Please don't save up six problems for one appointment.
- Please remember to cancel your appointment as soon as possible if it is no longer required so that it can be offered to another patient whose need may be urgent. The practice operates a ‘Did Not Attend’ (DNA) policy and patients who fail to attend a pre-booked appointment on four or more occasions within a 12-month period could be removed from the practice patient list. The full policy and procedure is available from the Deputy Practice Manager. We realise that patients sometimes do genuinely forgot to attend for appointments and in these instances we would suggest that you telephone the surgery a reasonable time after the event to apologise and this will prevent a DNA being recorded. Patients can also call our dedicated 24 hour Appointment Cancellation Line 01322 520060 and leave a message on an answer phone.
- Interruptions during Surgery are upsetting for both Doctors and patients and for this reason the Receptionists have been asked not to disturb clinicians whilst they are in consultation or in between appointments unless there is a medical emergency.
- Your Doctor will try to find the best way of helping you. You will not always be given medicines as there are other ways to treat you; please do not expect a prescription on every visit.
- Abuse of the system will cause inconvenience to other patients.
Our Receptionists are experienced and trained to help you arrange appointments. Please do not blame the Receptionist if the Doctor is running late for your appointment, or if she is unable to offer you exactly what you want.
Consulting Times By Appointment
To try and avoid wasting your time and to ensure that people do not have to wait too long, we operate an appointment system. As you will appreciate, occasionally Doctors are called out of Surgery or have to deal with medical emergencies in the surgery, and therefore delays may be unavoidable.
However, we would be grateful if you could arrive for your appointment on time.
Whenever possible, you will be given an appointment to suit you with your preferred doctor.
To allow the smooth and efficient running of the Practice, for the benefit of both patients and staff, we ask you to be understanding and not make unfair or unreasonable demands after a clear explanation has been given to you.
Emergency Consultations
For an emergency daytime problem please complete an eConsultation online by clicking ‘consult our Doctors on line' or download the NHS app on your smart phone
If you do not have access to the internet and need help in completing an eConsult please telephone surgery reception and a member of staff will be able to help you.
If you experience problems with completing an eConsult or have any questions, please contact a member of the reception team who will be happy to help you.
eConsults are triaged between 8.30am and 4.00pm, Monday to Friday and dependant on your symptoms, you will either be given an appointment to attend the surgery the same day or contacted by telephone by a Clinician on the same day. If it is deemed that you do not need urgent treatment, you will be given a routine future appointment, either face to face or telephone. Please note that your appointment could be with a GP or Nurse Practitioner.
The Clinician will only be able to deal with the urgent problem, therefore please do not mention any other non-urgent problems that you may be experiencing, you will need to make a future routine appointment to discuss these.
Please note that the GPs are unable to deal with emergencies related to dental problems. If you have a dental emergency please contact your own Dentist or the NHS 111 Service.