Appointments

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Do you really need to see a Doctor?

Having a GP appointment may not always be necessary. There are ways to care for yourself and your family without having to visit the surgery. This practice, in partnership with West Leicestershire CCG, is promoting ‘self care’. Further information and FAQ’s can be found here Over The Counter Medicines.

Before you reach for the phone to try to get an appointment, please take time to consider whether there is something you can do to help yourself or your family member.

Patients can also check which service they should access with our useful guide below. Alternatively, more information is available on our Minor Illness pages.

Self-Care: The first choice

As we’ve said, many minor illnesses and ailments do not need a GP appointment or prescription.

You can go and see a community based pharmacist for common health problems such as:

Back pain
Chickenpox, Cold – Common, Cold Sore, Cough
Conjunctivitis – Allergic, Conjunctivitis – Infective
Constipation
Diarrhoea
Earache, Earwax

Hay Fever, Headache, Head Lice
Indigestion, Insect Stings
Mouth Ulcer
Nappy Rash, Nosebleed
Sinusitis, Sore Throat, Sprains and Strains
Warts and Verrucas
Earache, Earwax

Help us to help you

Trust & talk to our reception team! By telling them what your appointment is for, they can ensure you see the right clinician and reduce the number of wasted appointments

See the right person. Rising demand for appointments mean that these days there’s less ‘my GP’ and more ‘my healthcare team’. The receptionist knows the GP’s specialisms and so can help you to avoid wasting GP appointments – for example, by directing vaccinations to the travel clinic, and cholesterol checks to our healthcare assistant. It’s most useful to see the same GP on subsequent visits when you’re dealing with unresolved problems, or if you have multiple chronic illnesses.

Prioritise your symptoms. What’s the most important thing affecting your health right now? Share it right at the beginning so the GP can focus your consultation accordingly

Be specific. Include a summary of why you’re there in your first sentence. The GP doesn’t expect you to come with a diagnosis, but they do need to know your symptoms (think: ‘I’ve got a cough and a fever’, rather than ‘I think I might have a chest infection’). Tell the GP what you’re hoping and expecting from the consultation and if you’re worried you may have something serious.

Give a recap. If you’re at the surgery for a follow-up, give a 10-second précis of why you’re there and what’s happened previously.

Consultations are by appointment and can be booked 24 hours a day via our online service, in person or over the telephone during opening hours.

Fully registered patients are also able to book and cancel appointments with the doctor online via the link at the top of this page. In order to log in to the online booking system you will need to register with us. Please contact the surgery to request your log in details.

Non-urgent advice: Please Note

For patients with ear pain or some hearing loss due to excessive [impacted] wax who think they may require ear syringing, please speak with reception. We can offer an initial ear check with our Healthcare Assistant or Nurse and if you are found to have impacted wax, you will be referred on to ENT for treatment.

Blood test appointments: contact reception to book your appointment.

For simple medication reviews/enquiries you can now book an appointment with our Pharmacist Team

Patients who arrive more than 10 minutes late for their appointment will not be seen and will be required to rebook for another day.

Practice Nurses and Paramedics

In a number of cases it might be worth considering an appointment with the nurse or paramedic rather than a doctor. Practice nurses and paramedics are qualified to deal with many conditions and you may be seen more quickly.

Muscle Pain or Joint injury

You can book in to see our in house physiotherapist Salim. He can check your injury or the site of your pain, offer advice and also refer you for further management or tests such as x-rays if medically required

Self Check-In Screen

A self check-in touch screen is installed opposite our reception window which will allow patients to check themselves in for their appointments. This will help reception to run more efficiently and also help to save time for patients queuing at front desk for other queries. Once you have checked in, please take a seat in our waiting room down the corridor as normal. Please ask reception if you require guidance using this self check-in screen.

Cancellations

If you cannot attend an appointment for any reason please inform us as soon as possible in order for us to give the slot to someone else. Please cancel your appointment via the online system or by telephoning/visiting the practice in person. Please do not use the ‘Contact Us’ page to cancel appointments!