Appointments
Contact us by telephone to arrange an appointment. It is not usually advisable to “pop-in”. If you telephone we can advise you best about who to see and when to come.
Our doctors and nurses work with a system of 10 minute appointments. This helps us allocate a proper time to patients and avoid long waits. It may not be possible to deal with problems in the allotted time and we then run late. We apologise for this but most patients understand.
If a doctor is running very late the reception staff should warn you when you arrive for the appointment. If you know you will need more than the usual 10 minute appointment (e.g. for an insurance medical) you should let us know when calling. If you have a continuing problem we would encourage you, where possible, to see the same person about it.
Most of our patients use ordinary appointments which can usually be booked up to 4 weeks in advance. If you have a problem which cannot wait, please tell us and we will try to help. As well as asking a doctor or nurse to telephone you back for advice we can arrange appointments at short notice if needed.
If you are concerned your problem is a medical emergency please tell the member of staff you speak to. If you call Alva, press “1” when the automated system prompts you. This will let you speak to a receptionist straight away. Dial 999 if it is a serious emergency. If you need help or advice out of surgery hours call 08454 24 24 24.
As well as offering face to face consultations, we are able to offer telephone appointments for patients whose problem can be dealt with this way.
This may avoid patients having to take time off work. Phone reception to request a telephone consultation. The doctor will call you back that day. Please ensure that you give your contact details accurately to the reception staff for the doctor to return your call.