Appointments

We ask the reason for all appointments this will mean you will be asked by a member of reception what your appointment is for – this is not intended to cause distress and our receptionists are bound by the code of confidentiality, they have been requested to obtain this information to ensure you are getting the correct and appropriate clinical appointment, this information is at the doctors request.  

Failure to disclose this information can result in a delay or inappropriate appointment

The surgery appointment availability runs from 07:30 – 18:00. The telephone lines are open between 08:00 and 18:30. We have telephone appointments that can be booked on the day for acute problems and children under 5 years old, also appointments that can be pre-booked up to 4 weeks in advance.  For GP availability please check with reception, availability to see a doctor of your choice will depend upon holiday leave, sickness absence, demand and the fact that some doctors work on a part time basis.

You may also request a telephone consultation with the nurse if you do not feel it is necessary to have a face to face consultation. Please inform the receptionist and she will advise you of the procedure. Online booking is also available. Please ask at reception for details.

How to make an appointment

Please call our main switchboard number 0161 357 2300 to book an appointment. You can also book an appointment online via our electronic booking system (Online Services) and follow the links. Urgent cases are seen on the day. If your condition is non-urgent, you can expect to see a GP within two working days, though you may have to wait longer if you want to see a particular GP. If you don’t need an appointment within two working days, you also have the option to book up to 6 weeks in advance if this is more convenient for you. It is also possible to book to a telephone consultation with a GP or nurse if you wish.

What if I can’t get an appointment?

If your appointment is not urgent, try to book on a less busy day after 10:30. You can book to have a telephone consultation with a GP if you wish; he/she will ring you at an agreed time on the telephone number you have provided. You can also visit the Integrated Care Centre (ICC) in the centre of Oldham - the ICC provides advice and treatment for a range of minor illnesses and injuries, if you or someone else experiences severe chest pain, loss of blood or suspected broken bones, go to your nearest accident and emergency department or call 999.

Why might it be difficult to get an appointment?

The surgery is particularly busy during the morning period and we have to deal with various phone calls and queries. If your appointment is not urgent try to book after 10:30 or via the online booking system. If we can’t offer you an immediate appointment, we may be able to offer you an appointment for a future date or you can book to have a telephone consultation with a GP or nurse if you wish.

What do I do in an emergency?

If you need medical advice during surgery hours, please phone the main switchboard on 0161 357 2300. Please be prepared to give some information to the receptionist.

Nurse Practitioner

The nurse practitioner can treat a range of acute problems such as ear and throat infections, rashes and cystitis. Kathryn can provide general advice and triage if you are not sure who to see.

Practice Nurses/Healthcare Assistant/Other Clinical Staff

Appointments for any of the above can be requested any time during surgery opening hours. We regularly monitor our appointment availability together with the number of wasted appointments (due to non-attendance) with the aim of providing improved access to patients.

Chaperones

The practice has a policy of offering a chaperone during all intimate examinations. You have the right to ask for a chaperone at any time if the doctor wishes to examine you.

Missed Appointments

Please follow the link to our Practice policy.

Did Not Attend (DNA) Policy

Home Visits

Whilst we encourage our patients to come to the surgery, where we have the proper equipment and facilities available, we do appreciate this is not always possible. In this respect, if you do need a home visit, you can help us by calling reception before 10:30.

You may only request a home visit if you are housebound or are too ill to visit the practice. Your GP will only visit you at home if they think that your medical condition requires it and will also decide how urgently a visit is needed. Home visits should NOT be requested because of lack of transport to attend the surgery.

Please bear this in mind and be prepared to provide suitable details to enable the doctor to schedule house calls

You can also be visited at home by a community nurse if you are referred by your GP. You should also be visited at home by a health visitor if you have recently had a baby or if you are newly registered with a GP and have a child under five years.

Sickness Certificates

You do not require a doctor's sickness certificate for any illness lasting seven days or less. Your employer may however require you to complete a self-certification form (SC2) which is available from your employer or on the HMRC website.

Evidence that you are sick

If you are sick for more than seven days, your employer can ask you to give them some form of medical evidence to support payment of SSP (statutory sick pay).

It is up to your employer to decide whether you are incapable of work. A medical certificate, now called a 'Statement of Fitness for Work’ (see below) from your doctor is strong evidence that you are sick and would normally be accepted, unless there is evidence to prove otherwise.

You could also provide evidence from someone who is not a medical practitioner, e.g. a dentist. Your employer will decide whether or not this evidence is acceptable. If your employer has any doubts, they may still ask for a medical certificate from your GP.

Statement of Fitness for Work - ’Fit Note'

The 'fit note' was introduced on 6 April 2010. With your employer's support, the note will help you return to work sooner by providing more information about the effects of your illness or injury.

For more information see the DirectGov website (where this information was sourced).

Self-Certification Sick Note for less than 7 days

If you have been ill for 7 days or less you don’t need to see a Doctor. You can complete a Self-Certification form yourself. However some employers insist on a Doctor’s note regardless. A Doctors note under these circumstances involves a charge of £10.

Covid isolation note 

Get an isolation note - NHS (111.nhs.uk)

On the 10^th December 2018 we made changes to our appointment system. The majority of problems seen in general practice do not require urgent ‘on the day’ appointments and we will therefore be substantially increasing our number of pre-bookable appointments.

Appointments will be no longer be offered on the day to patients queueing at the reception desk.  Patients ringing the practice requesting to be seen on an urgent ‘on the day’ basis will booked into a telephone appointment whereby the on-call GP will ring them back and assess the appropriate course of action.  All URGENT issues will be triaged by the GP, with the option to offer urgent face to face appointments for those deemed by the GP to require clinical assessment.   

This new system will take time for both patients and staff to become used to and we ask for your understanding whilst we instigate these changes.  We hope that this will result in a much improved service for all our patients.  

Dr D Thompson & Dr S Kemp

GP Partners