Urgent advice: Cancel an Appointment
It is important that you inform the reception staff if you are unable to attend your appointment, this will allow that appointment to be offered to another patient. The telephone lines are open at the surgery from 8am for cancellations. You will also then be able to re-book your appointment at a time that is convenient to you.
If you fail to notify the Practice that you are unable to attend, you will be sent a letter informing you that you have defaulted from your appointment. Persistent defaulters maybe removed from the list.
Nurse Appointments
For ordinary clinics (Childhood Immunisations, Blood Tests, Injections, Pill Checks, Patient Registration Checks, Cytology, Dietary Advice) please telephone between 8.00am – 6.30pm or call at the surgery. These appointments are available for booking 14 days in advance.
For specific clinics (Asthma, Coronary Heart Disease, INR, Diabetic) please telephone between 8.00am and 6.30pm, or call at the surgery. These appointments are available for booking a maximum of 14 days in advance.
Appointments for blood tests are available to book on line.
We are happy to look at your ears and discuss if ear irrigation is needed or if drops or oil from the Pharmacy would be beneficial.
Extended Access
As of April 2025, Rivergreen Medical Centre will host GP appointments until 8:00 pm at the surgery Monday to Wednesday evenings and all day on Saturday. We will also continue to host the Early GP and HCA clinic at 7:00 am on a Tuesday.
We also have access to additional appointments in collaboration with our fellow practices in Clifton and the Meadows. You can get all types of clinician appointments 7:00 am to 8:00 pm Monday to Friday and also both telephone and face to face appointments for the weekend. All of these can be booked via our reception
Home Visits
Wherever possible you should try to telephone the surgery before 10:30 if you require a home visit.
A doctor or nurse may phone you back as it may be that your problem can be dealt with by telephone advice, or that it would be more appropriate to send a nurse, or indeed arrange a hospital attendance.
House visits are normally only carried out for the following groups of patients:
- the terminally ill.
- The truly housebound patients, for which travel to premises by car would cause deterioration in their medical condition.
Please remember that several patients can be seen in the practice in the time that it takes to make one home visit. There are also better facilities for examining and treating patients at the Medical Centre.
GP Contract Changes to Patient Access
When contacting the surgery from Monday 15th May 2023 due to the new GP contract changes approved by NHS England, you will be asked a few details by our specially trained reception team to ensure they are able to signpost you to the most appropriate service.
The options available to the reception team are:
- GPs
- Nurses
- First Contact Practitioners (specialist physio) click for info re FCP
- Social Prescribers
- Health Care assistants
- Clinical Pharmacists
- Community pharmacists
- Health and well being coach
- Cancer care co-ordinator
- Other NHS services where needed
You may be signposted outside of the surgery to other NHS services including Pharmacy/NHS 111/Urgent care centre and other services within the local area
Our aim is for all patients to receive the most appropriate, timely and effective care upon contact with the surgery.
Please note for telephone consultations the GP will call you at some point during the day, please ensure we have the correct telephone number for you and that you answer your phone promptly when we call. The GP will aim to assess you over the telephone or via a video link. If they feel you need to be seen they will invite you for a face to face consultation, which will usually be on the same day.
Please bear with us while we work together with our patients through this mandatory change and roll out our new online consultations.
Changes to Pharmacy Services
Patients can now get treatment for seven common conditions directly from their local pharmacy, without the need for a GP appointment or prescription.
The Pharmacy First scheme was launched by the government and NHS England on 31 January 2024 to give patients quick and accessible care and ease pressure on GP services.
But what does it cover and who will benefit? Here’s everything you need to know.
What is Pharmacy First?
Pharmacy First will enable community pharmacists to supply prescription-only medicines, including antibiotics and antivirals where clinically appropriate, to treat seven common health conditions without the need to visit a GP.
What are the seven common conditions?
- Sinusitis
- Sore throat
- Earache
- Infected insect bite
- Impetigo (a bacterial skin infection)
- Shingles
- Uncomplicated urinary tract infections in women.
How can I access treatment from my pharmacy?
You can get treatment for these conditions by walking into the pharmacy or contacting them virtually. GP receptionists, NHS 111 and providers of emergency care will also be able to direct patients to pharmacies, that offer the service, if contacted.
What will happen when I arrive at the pharmacy?
The pharmacist will be able to speak to you privately in a separate consultation room. They may perform an examination or ask to access your medical records. The pharmacist will be able to recommend the best course of action on an individual patient basis, including by issuing prescriptions for antibiotics or antivirals where necessary.
How will this reduce NHS waiting times?
By reducing the number of patients with common conditions, needing blood pressure checks or oral contraception visiting a GP, Pharmacy First aims to free up 10 million GP appointments a year by next winter for more complex diagnosis
This will give GPs time and space to see patients with more complex conditions.
Four in five people in England can reach a community pharmacy within a 20-minute walk and there are twice as many pharmacies in the most deprived communities, making access to care quicker and more convenient.
How do I know if my local pharmacy is offering the service?
More than 10,000 pharmacies have already signed up to Pharmacy First – that’s over 95 per cent of all those in England.
Will I have to pay for my medication?
Usual prescription charges will apply for the seven common conditions. Patients that were already exempt from prescription charges will still be exempt.
What if I still want to see my GP?
Patients can still choose to visit a GP if they wish to. Pharmacy First offers alternative access for these seven conditions and we encourage people to make the most of this service and to consult the highly trained professions in their local pharmacy.
We are working to expand GP access, and have now delivered on our manifesto commitment for 50 million more general practice appointments per year. We are also growing the primary care workforce and we hit our target for 26,000 additional staff in primary care by March 2024 more than a year early.
Chaperones
Sometimes it is helpful to both the patient and the doctor to have another person in the room during a physical examination. Please understand that you may ask for a chaperone to be present and the doctor will not be offended. The doctor themselves may also request another person to be present.
