Appointments

Swanlow Medical Practice operates a Total Triage system for all acute (urgent on the day) appointments.

Urgent appointments

If you/your child/someone you care for requires an urgent on to day appointment or an acute medical problem an eConsult form is to be complete.

The eConsult form is found on the main page on our website or you can click here to be redirected to the form. Alternatively, you can access the form via the NHS App by following the below steps.

Once you access the eConsult form you will be asked whether it is a Admin or Medical request, for urgent on the day appointments for an acute illness you need to select Medical and you will be asked to answer 6 questions which are in a free text format (This means you can type as much information as you wish)

All eConsults which are received are triaged by either a GP or our Advanced Clinical Practitioner the same day. Once triaged you will receive one of the following outcomes.

  • A telephone call from the triaging GP.
  • A text message from the triaging GP advising of treatment/further investigations.
  • A call/text message advising you of an urgent on the day appointment that has been made for you.
  • A text message with a booking link for urgent/routine telephone/face-to-face appointments.

You CAN still contact the surgery on 01606 544644 and press option 1 for our reception team if you do not have access to the internet or are unable to complete an online form. Our reception team will complete this for you adding as much clinical information as possible to your form.

We have devised a FAQ sheet which addresses the main topics of concerns patients voiced for this system.

Routine appointments

To book a routine appointment you can call the surgery on 01606 544644 and press option 1 to speak with our Reception Team. Alternatively, for routine GP appointments these can be booked online on the NHS App, routine telephone and face-to-face appointments are released daily up to 2 weeks in advance.

Cancelling or changing an appointment

To cancel your appointment:

  • Use your NHS account which can be accessed via the NHS App or the NHS App website.
  • Call us on 01606 544644, pressing option 1.
  • Reply CANCEL to your appointment reminder text message.

If you need help when we are closed

If you need medical help outside of surgery hours you can use NHS 111 online or call 111 for free from both landlines and mobiles.

NHS111 online is for people aged 5 and over. For children under 5 please call 111 direct.

Call 999 in a medical or mental health emergency which immediate assistance is required due to being in a life-threatening situation.

If you need help with an appointment

  • You have the right to specify if there is a specific health care professional you wish to consult with, if this is the case, please let the reception team know and they will accommodate the best they can.
  • You can request either a telephone or face-to-face appointment.
  • If you require an interpreter, please let the team know so one can be arranged for you.
  • If you require any other access or communication needs, please ensure our team are aware to help accommodate you.

Home visits

Home visits will only be made for persons too ill to attend the surgery.

The surgery uses a Rapid Response team to complete all urgent home visits, this is provided by the community service and is made up of Advanced Clinical Practitioners who can diagnose, prescribe, and refer if needed.

If you feel you require a home visit, please contact the surgery as soon as possible.

Medical Reports

You are unable to book an appointment with a clinician for medical reports/forms to be completed. This work is conducted as Private Admin, this means that the GP’s are to complete all requests outside of their working hours.

If you have a form/report that needs to be complete, please approach the reception desk and ask to speak with a member of our Secretarial or Senior Management team who will advise you further. Alternatively, you can email your request through to swanlow.surgery@nhs.net

Our turnaround time for these requests can take until 8 weeks, if there are any charges involved with your request you will be advised of this.

PIP/ESA

Swanlow Medical Centre no longer provided ‘To Whom’ letters for support of PIP/ESA claims. The surgery will provide you with a  brief summary printout of your records which will include your full diagnosis history, current medication and the last 3 consultations. If the DWP require further information to support your case, they will contact the surgery direct to request this.