Appointments
Consultations are by appointment only.
Appointments are available Monday to Friday (excluding public holidays) during our opening hours.
Routine appointments can be requested by completing the online form or by telephoning the practice and speaking with Reception to make an appointment. GP appointment requests will be triaged by a GP before an appointment is given.
Some appointments can be booked in advance of up to 7 weeks. We are actively trying to promote this at present to reduce the number of routine appointments being booked on the day, in order to free more time for urgent bookings. We would be most grateful if you could book in advance for routine follow ups.
Urgent requests will be assessed by a doctor and dealt with based upon clinical need.
Consultations are usually 10 minutes long, however we realise that some problems may take longer than others. If the surgery does not run strictly to time, please be patient. If you are late for an appointment you may be asked to make a new appointment.
You can request a routine appointment in the next 7 days by:
- Completing an online form via SystmOnline
We are open Monday to Friday 8.30am to 6pm. We have a lunch break from 12.30pm to 1.30pm. - Phone 01366 388888
Our phone lines are open Monday to Friday 8.00am to 6pm. We have a lunch break from 12.30pm to 1.30pm. - Visiting the surgery and speak with a receptionist
We are open Monday to Friday 8.30am to 6pm. We have a lunch break from 12.30pm to 1.30pm. - Using the NHS App to book a screening test or vaccination
Signposting
When you call for an appointment, the reception team will ask you a few questions about the reason for your call. We want to ensure that you are seen in the right way, at the right time by the right person.
We have asked them to do this so that your appointment or request can be directed to the most appropriate person to help you.
The video below gives further explanation as to why we do this;
It may be appropriate for the reception team to direct your request to another organisation e.g. dentist, optician or a minor injuries unit. Most of these places are listed in the Norfolk Directory.
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 the doctor or nurse can help you sooner.
We usually provide a telephone appointment and then offer a face-to-face appointment if needed. However, if you prefer a face-to-face appointment, please tell us.
Home Visits
Where possible, requests for visits should be made by telephone on 01366 388888 before 10:30.
Our administration/reception team will ask for sufficient information to ascertain the urgency, and the will ask for a contact number so that the doctor can contact you if necessary. It is likely that a GP or nurse will call you back to discuss the details.
We are happy to offer visits to the housebound and the seriously ill. We can obviously see more patients in the surgery in the time it takes to carry out a visit, so we ask for your cooperation to ensure that every effort is made to attend the surgery. We feel that if someone is fit enough to attend hospital casualty or outpatients they can attend our surgery.
Cancelling or Changing an Appointment
If you are cancelling an appointment for the same day, please let us know as soon as possible so we can offer your appointment to someone else.
If you are cancelling an appointment for another day, please cancel your appointment by:
- Phone 01366 388888
Our phone lines are open Monday to Friday 8.00am to 6pm. We have a lunch break from 12.30pm to 1.30pm. - Visiting the surgery and speak with a receptionist
We are open Monday to Friday 8.30am to 6pm. We have a lunch break from 12.30pm to 1.30pm. - Via our appointment cancellation form
When we are closed
NHS 111
If you are very unwell and you cannot wait until the surgery has opened, please call NHS 111 by dialling 111, and they will be able to advise on the care that you need. They can organise emergency services or an ambulance if needed. The NHS 111 is staffed by fully trained advisers supported by experienced nurses, pharmacists, and doctors. The NHS 111 service is available if you require urgent medical help, but it is not a life-threatening situation.
Late Night Pharmacies
As qualified healthcare professionals, community pharmacists can offer clinical advice and over-the-counter medicines for a range of minor illnesses, such as coughs, colds, sore throats, tummy trouble and aches and pains.
If symptoms suggest it’s something more serious, pharmacists have the right training to make sure you get the help you need. For example, they will tell you if you need to see a GP, nurse or other healthcare professional.
All pharmacists train for 5 years in the use of medicines. They are also trained in managing minor illnesses and providing health and wellbeing advice.
Many pharmacies are open until late and at weekends. You do not need an appointment.
Most pharmacies have a private consultation room where you can discuss issues with pharmacy staff without being overheard.
You can find out your nearest open pharmacy on the NHS.uk website. Once you have searched for the location, you can select ‘only show pharmacies open now’ if you are searching outside of usual business hours.
Extended Access Service
Improved access appointments are only available to patients who are registered with one of the 21 surgeries within West Norfolk. Appointments are made via the surgery and are available to patients who are unable to access appointments during normal surgery hours or when surgery appointments are fully booked.
For further information please visit our Improved Access Appointments page.