Appointments

At the Limes the appointment system was implemented to improve:

• appropriate appointment booking
• patient safety
• access to the surgery on the telephones
• advance bookings

All our consultations are by appointment at the surgery.  For a new or flare-up of an existing condition, you will need to speak with one of our receptionists between the surgery opening hours. To book an appointment please call the surgery on 01992 573838 - select option 2 followed by option 3 to speak to a receptionist.  We offer face to face and telephone appointments.  

In order to ensure that you are seen by the appropriate member of the team the receptionist will ask you for information that is essential for the booking system to work efficiently and successfully. The receptionist will ask you:

• "how can I help?"
• "can you give me a rough idea of the problem?"
• they will then know whether this is a new or on-going problem.
• they may also ask "what's happened?"

The receptionist will NOT be making any clinical assessment - this information is to direct you to an appropriate appointment or call from our duty team. It is essential that you co-operate with the receptionists and understand that it may be more appropriate for a nurse, healthcare assistant or a nurse practitioner to see/speak with you. It is NOT always essential to be seen by a doctor. The receptionists are all bound by strict rules of confidentiality.

We understand that sometimes you may not be able to make an appointment that you booked or you may need to re-schedule. If you cannot keep your appointment please try to inform us as soon as possible so it may be offered to another patient. Please press option 2 followed by option 1 to use our automated system where you can cancel an appointment any time, night or day. Please note, the cancellation line is an automated voicemail service. Appointment requests will not be accepted on this line. 

Our telephone system offers a call back option between 8.30am to 12.00pm and 2.00 to 4.00pm. Once you are in the queue, you have the option to press 8 and this will reserve your place in the queue so that you do not have to wait on the line. The reception team will then call you back once your call has reached the front of the queue.

If you miss the call, we will try again and leave a voicemail message if we are unsuccessful.

Please note that your call may be monitored for training and safety purposes.

Enquiries and Appointment Line

Emergency Line (for medical emergencies only) - 01992 566500

You must inform the surgery if you change your contact telephone numbers - your home and mobile.

Weekend Appointments Available through the Enhanced Access Service

Patients can see a GP or another healthcare professional at the weekend. This service offers additional, pre-booked appointments at convenient times to suit your needs.

To book a weekend appointment, contact us in the usual way. We will book an appointment at a local treatment centre - through our booking system - and ask permission to access your medical records.

We will provide you with a date, time and location for your appointment.  If you have booked a weekend appointment via the surgery and need to cancel or change it, please ring 0300 3037300.