APPOINTMENTS

Joint and Soft Tissue Injections

Please read our Fact sheet before appointment. (web version)

Emergencies

Patients suffering from chest pain which could be related to their heart should dial 999 if the pain is not settling or responding to their normal medication. See our 999 checklist.

Routine Appointments

All consultations are made by appointment. The surgery is open each day Mon - Fri 08.00 to 18.30 with some earlier and later times on a variety of days. We do offer personalised lists, and if you are not sure of the name of your GP you can check on your repeat prescription side slip, or please ask us. We would ask you to try and see your usual doctor whenever possible as this improves continuity of care. We do offer a variety of appointments bookable in advance, but you may need to plan your routine appointments further in advance to secure your usual doctor. Please try to prioritise which of your problems you want the doctor to deal with during the consultation as each appointment is scheduled for 10 minutes. It may be that your doctor will ask you to make another appointment if you have several problems to ensure there is adequate time. If you wish to book a routine appointment online you will need to register for this service.

HGV/PSV Medical Examination Appointment  Bookings

We offer these appointments here at the surgery but they non-NHS appointments for which there is a charge (see charges and other non NHS services we offer). When you contact the surgery please let the receptionist know you are booking this type of appointment. The appointment duration is 30 mins (10mins with a Nurse and 20mins with a GP). You will need to bring a urine sample with you to the appointment. The relevant form should be completed prior to the appointment. NB page 2 of the HGV medical form should be completed by an optometrist prior to the appointment with the Nurse/GP. The fee for the medical must be paid on arrival at the surgery for  the appointment. Only cheques or cash are accepted. The arrangements will be confirmed to you by letter after booking.

Appointments outside normal surgery hours

We do offer some appointments outside normal surgery hours. These are usually for patients who work / are students/carers and who cannot make an appointment between 08.00 and 18.30 hrs. We now also offer some Saturday and Sunday appiontments. If you would like one of these appointments, please ask at reception for a improving access appointment. Please be aware that you will not necessarily see your own GP. We offer a number of nurse appointments outside our normal hours largely for the management of chronic conditions. There are also some early and late blood appointments with our Healthcare Assistants. When we are closed there is an out of hours service operated by Devon Doctors (DDOC). See our Out of Hours information.

Urgent Appointments

We aim to offer a mix of urgent and routine appointments to suit differing needs. Whilst we cannot guarantee an appointment with a doctor of your choice, we will always offer a telephone or face-to-face appointment for an urgent problem on the same day.  At the request of the GPs, the receptionist will ask for brief details of your problem to pass on to the GP concerned. Patients who request to be seen that day will be telephoned by a doctor who will discuss their problem with them. The doctor and patient can then agree the most appropriate course of action. It may be that the patient’s problem can be sorted out with telephone advice, they may need a blood test or investigations before they are seen, or they may need help from the Community Nursing Team. The doctor who phones will be able to offer these different solutions. Anyone who needs to be seen that day for an examination at the surgery will be offered an appointment. Children under 5 will be offered an appointment automatically unless the parent would prefer a telephone call. We hope that by using this system patients are saved unnecessary journeys and long waits in crowded waiting rooms. Doctors will have more time to spend with their patients who have on-going and more chronic problems.

Telephone Consultations

If you would like to discuss a problem with your doctor but do not necessarily need to be seen in surgery, you can book a telephone consultation with your GP. At the request of the GPs, the receptionist will ask for brief details of your problem and will schedule the appointment, but we cannot guarantee a specific time for the call. You may like to give a mobile or alternative telephone number for the doctor to be able to contact you more easily.

If you would like to speak to a nurse, the receptionist will send a message to the nurse to call you back, together with a reason for the call. Again a time cannot be specified.

T.R.I.P. Community Transport Association

The Devon PCT has contracted with TRIP to take bookings for the local patient transport service. The service is only available to patients who satisfy eligibility criteria and are too frail or disabled to use other public transport including taxi services to attend appointments at Wonford or other hospitals in the area. A fee is usually payable to the driver. This is subsidised by the Royal Devon & Exeter Hospital and is also available for wheelchair bound patients.

There is also a voluntary car service organised locally. For a small fee, based on mileage, anyone having difficultly with transport to any medical appointment at the surgery, local hospital or dentist can obtain transport. Please contract the TRIP coordinator for further information.