Appointments

All surgeries are by appointment. Appointments can be made via the telephone between 8.00am – 6.30pm Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday and 8.00am – 7.30pm Thursday.

We have eight GPs at Stockwood Medical Centre and the Practice has approximately 10800 patients.

As you can imagine with such large numbers there is always a degree of pressure on our appointment system. However, we do provide an efficient service and endeavour to make the appointment system as convenient as possible for our patients.

Sometimes it can be difficult to get an appointment with a specific GP exactly when you need it, so we have set up the following systems to try to make it as easy as possible for you to get the best appointment arranged for you.

Urgent appointments

To request an urgent appointment for today or tomorrow (Monday to Friday):

  • phone us on 01275 833103, Monday to Friday from 8.00am to 6.30pm
  • visit the surgery and speak with a receptionist, Monday to Friday from 8.00am to 6.30pm

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.

Routine appointments

You are able to book in advance to see a specific GP. This is useful if you are dealing with an ongoing problem and where continuity of GP care is equally important. Advanced bookings will be made up to 2 weeks ahead. 

To request a routine appointment with the doctors or nurses in the next 2 weeks:

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.

If you feel that a telephone call with your GP or treatment room nurse will be more appropriate than a regular appointment, you can phone reception and request a doctor or nurse call-back.

The receptionist will take details of your enquiry and a telephone appointment will be arranged on the phone number you have specified.

Your appointment

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

In the last year 1654 appointments were needlessly wasted by people not cancelling unwanted appointments. Even if you cancel with a short notice there is a good chance that the appointment can be reused for someone else. 

To cancel your appointment:

  • use your NHS account (through the NHS website or NHS App)
  • use your Patient Access account
  • phone us on 01275 833103, Monday to Friday from 8.00am to 6.30pm
  • reply CANCEL to your appointment reminder text message

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

Home visits

Our doctors are happy to visit patients in their homes if they are housebound or too unwell to come to the surgery. However, each home visit takes the same amount of time as seeing four or five patients in the surgery, so we do encourage patients to come in for an appointment.

When a doctor sees a patient in their home they do not have access to the same equipment or medical records as they would if they saw them in the surgery. Care is therefore better delivered in the surgery. As a rule, we ask that people come to the surgery whenever possible, even if it means patients asking relatives or friends to bring them.

Please note that we will only visit at home on the basis of clinical need and not because of difficulties with transport.

If you feel that you need a home visit please could you telephone the surgery before 11am. Visits will usually be carried out over the lunchtime period. Home visit requests that are received after this time tend to cause disruption to the afternoon surgeries. The doctor may well telephone before they come to see you, to find out more about your needs and make a decision about the best way of helping you.