Appointments

Urgent appointments

Urgent appointments are not for repeat prescriptions, fit notes or for signing forms but for urgent matters only.

We operate an appointment system with both advanced booking appointments and some available appointments for urgent on-the-day cases.

To request an urgent appointment:

  • – you can phone us 01983 618388, Monday to Friday from 8am to 6:30pm.
  • – visit the surgery and speak with a receptionist, Monday to Friday from 8.30am to 6:30pm.

Routine appointments

We operate an appointment system with both advanced booking appointments and some available appointments for urgent on-the-day cases.

To request a routine appointment:

  • – you can phone us 01983 618388, Monday to Friday from 8am to 6:30pm.
  • – visit the surgery and speak with a receptionist, Monday to Friday from 8.30am to 6:30pm.
  • – use your NHS account (through the NHS website or NHS App) to book a screening test or vaccination.

In the next instance, you will be offered an appointment with our advanced nurse practitioner. They are able to treat and advise for many problems for which you may have seen a doctor for in the past. Their main areas of expertise are in the management of common illnesses in both adults and children. Same day and routine nurse practitioner appointments are available every weekday.

Once you have made an appointment we can confirm it by SMS text message and also send you a reminder the day before your appointment. Please let us have your mobile number if you would like this.

Patients may express a preference for a particular doctor or nurse and, whilst we will endeavour to comply with this, it may not always be possible as we are under increasing pressure to provide appointments.

Relatives or friends staying with you who become unwell can be seen as temporary patients.

We try to run to time as far as possible, but unfortunately an appointment can run over time, so please be patient with us if you have to wait. Please let us know as soon as possible if you cannot keep your appointment so that it may be offered to another patient.

Online Appointment Booking

Online service is now available for booking some appointments and ordering prescriptions.

Once you have your login details (please contact reception for these), login to our online service.

Think Pharmacy First

When you or your family are unwell, you may not always need to make an appointment to see your GP. Pharmacists are experts in the use of medicines and can provide you with free expert advice on the best treatment for a wide range of illnesses and minor ailments.

Pharmacy First allows Island residents to go straight to their pharmacist to receive treatment, for selected minor ailments, without needing to visit their GP to get a prescription first. Medication supplied will be free of charge only if exempt from prescription charges. If the patient pays for their prescription they will pay the OTC cost of any medicines supplied. To access this service you must be a registered patient of one of the surgeries on the IOW.

Your appointment

When you get in touch, we’ll ask what you need help with.

We will use the information you give us to choose the most suitable doctor, nurse or health professional to help you.

However you choose to contact us, we may offer you a consultation:

  • – by phone
  • – face to face at the surgery
  • – on a video call
  • – by text or email

Appointments by phone, video call or by text or email can be more flexible and often means you get help sooner.

Cancelling or changing an appointment

To cancel your appointment:

  • phone us on 01983 618388, Monday to Friday from 8am to 6.30pm.
  • ** You will get a reminder 24 hours before your appointment with a link to cancel if you need to **

If you need help when we are closed

If you need medical help now, use NHS 111 online or call 111.

NHS 111 online is for people aged 5 and over. Call 111 if you need help for a child under 5.

Call 999 in a medical or mental health emergency. This is when someone is seriously ill or injured and their life is at risk.

If you need help with your appointment

Please tell us:

  • – if there’s a specific doctor, nurse or other health professional you would prefer to respond
  • – if you would prefer to consult with the doctor or nurse by phone, face-to-face, by video call or by text or email
  • – if you need an interpreter
  • – if you have any other access or communication needs

Think Pharmacy First

Most pharmacies can provide prescription medication for certain conditions without the need to see a GP or make an appointment. This service, known as Pharmacy First.

Pharmacy First means you can go straight to the pharmacist for treatment of some minor health issues, without needing a GP prescription first. If you are exempt from prescription charges, the medication will be free. If you pay for your prescription, you will pay the regular cost of the medicine. To use this service, you must be a registered patient at one of the surgeries on the Isle of Wight. Please note most pharmacies have a private consultation room.

Home visits

With the exception of emergencies, requests for home visits should be made before 11.00am. The receptionist may need to ask for some details of the problem. Please consider the necessity for a home visit. A child with a high temperature can safely be brought to the surgery where a more complete assessment is possible. Home visits are intended for the housebound and those too ill to travel. Remember we can see three or four people in the surgery in the time an average visit takes. Requests for urgent medical attention which may involve a home visit are referred to the duty doctor at the time.

Home visits – important information for patients

Home visiting remains an important part of General Practice, but with an escalating workload and diminishing workforce, the practice is obliged to review its home visiting policy.

The criteria for a home visit are:

  • – those at end of life care
  • – the completely housebound (uncommon)
  • – those whose clinical condition would be adversely affected by attending the surgery (rare)

The practice has traditionally interpreted these criterial fairly liberally, but such is the pressure of work, this is no longer possible. Between 8 to 10 hours per day is set aside for home visiting and consequently this has a profound effect on our ability to provide timely appointments in the surgery.

The most frequent complaint is of the time to wait for an appointment and an important means to address this is to ensure that home visiting is targeted to those with a genuine need and therefore allow us to free up some of the time otherwise spent on visiting.

All requests for home visits will be assessed by the duty doctor who will decide on the most appropriate way to deal with the individual’s problem. This might consist of telephone advice, referral to another health professional, a home visit, or for the patient to attend surgery in a booked appointment.

Difficulties with transport, arranging childcare, personal inconvenience etc are not valid medical reasons to receive a home visit.

We hope you will understand the enormous difficulties facing the practice in trying to maintain a high quality service and we thank you in anticipation of your responsible use of the services we provide.

Further information

These cases don’t need urgent GP appointments. Under normal circumstances, you can handle them in advance. If you are asking for an appointment about these, please tell the receptionist. They can arrange other help for you.

When requesting an appointment or home visit, tell the receptionist the name of your preferred doctor. At times, we may not be able to guarantee that you will see your preferred GP. Yet, we will do our best to accommodate your request.
You are entitled to request or we may offer the presence of a chaperone during your consultation or procedure at the surgery. This can be a nurse, health care assistant or appropriate member of staff from the surgery, with your agreement. If you are not sure whether or not you would like a chaperone please contact the surgery to discuss before your appointment.
If you fall ill while away from home or living outside the practice area, a local GP can see you. They will view you as a “temporary patient”. If you stay longer than three months, the GP may wish to register you on their list as a permanent patient. This is important for you. It’s for your new GP, and especially your former GP. They can ensure passing on your medical history.