THROUGHOUT COVID-19 PANDEMIC ALL APPOINTMENTS WILL RECIEVE TELEPHONE TRIAGE AND ARE NOT BOOKABLE ONLINE. DO NOT ENTER THE PRACTICE UNLESS ADVISED IT IS SAFE TO DO SO!
Under normal circumstances –
GP Appointments
Our GP appointment system is specifically designed to enable access to all individuals including the elderly, the unemployed, the employed and those in full time education.
We are continually reviewing our appointment system according to demand and the present system seems to be working extremely well.
There will be 1 GP Registrar and 1 GP on call every day to see emergency on the day patients. What is an emergency? Something that can not physically wait and could result in an A&E admission if you are not treated that day. What is not an emergency? Sick notes; Medication Reviews; Medication queries; Cold and Flu symptoms; referral queries….
The receptionist WILL ask you to describe your “emergency” symptoms. Please do not be offended by this. We need to ensure that these appointments are not used by the “worried well.”
There will also be 1 GP Trainer to debrief the registrars each morning and to provide them with support throughout the day. This GP will also mop up on the day patients when the demand exceeds expectations.
The remaining GPs and GP Registrars morning and afternoon rotas contain pre bookable appointments up to 6 weeks in advance and appointments bookable two days in advance. The first 50% of all pre-bookable appointments can also be booked online using the NHS APP. All GPs will alternate throughout the week as to which rota they are set ensuring prebookable appointments will give patients a better chance to see their GP of choice.
In addition to GP appointments we have Advanced Nurse Practitioners and Nurse Practitioners available to see all minor injuries such as cuts, bruises, burns and scalds along with urinary tract symptoms and medication reviews.
WANT AN APPOINTMENT IN THE FUTURE??
Online appointments can be booked once you have registered to do so. Please come in to the surgery and provide proof of ID to the receptionist, you will then be issued with a username and password. Too much trouble? Not a problem – just download the NHS APP and call in to either site with some ID for instructions on how to log in.
Nurse Appointments
Forest Medical has an abundence of nursing staff consisting of four Nurse Practitioners; three Practice Nurses and five Healthcare Assistants.
Our Healthcare Assistants provide Blood Pressure Checks; Hypertension Reviews; Spirometry; Ear Syringing; Blood Sampling; ECGs; Dressings; Suture Removals; Flu and Pnuemonia Vaccinations; Over 75 Checks; NHS Health Checks and Health Promotion.
Our Practice Nurses will see patients for chronic disease management such as Diabetes; Asthma; COPD; CHD; and Cervical Smears.
Our Nurse Practitioners can prescribe your medication, treat all minor ailments and injuries and also perform your medication reviews.
There are a great many services that our Nursing staff provide and each one has a specific time allocated to it. The receptionist will therefore enquire as to why you would like to book an appointment with a Nurse as this is to ensure the correct nurse is booked and the correct amount of time is allocated.
Chaperones
If you would like a chaperone to be present during your consultation or examination, please ask at reception. On occasions the doctor may request a chaperone to be present.
Teachers and Training
We are a teaching practice therefore on occasion you may be asked to allow a student doctor to observe your consultation. This is entirely voluntary. If you have any objections, the student will leave to allow you a private consultation. Please inform the receptionist if you do not wish to have a student doctor present in your consultation. At times the student doctor may need to record your consultation. This is for the assessor to do a critical analysis on consultation technique.
Your Appointment
If you are unable to keep an appointment please let the surgery know as soon as possible so that the appointment can be offered to another patient. The Practice operates a strict DNA Policy (Did Not Attend)
For information on visits and out of hours services, see the home visits page.
Please Help Us To Help You By
- Attending your appointment or informing us as early as possible if unable to attend
- Cancelling your appointment online if you no longer need it
- Explaining your problem clearly to the receptionist
- Keeping your address, email address and telephone number up to date with the Practice