Appointments

Urgent appointments

Consultations are by appointment only.

Urgent requests will be assessed by a doctor and dealt with based upon clinical need.

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

  • phone us on 01366 388888, Monday to Friday from 8am to 6pm – We have a lunch break from 12.30pm to 1.30pm.
  • visit the surgery and speak with a receptionist, Monday to Friday from 8.30am to 6pm – We have a lunch break from 12.30pm to 1.30pm.

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

Consultations are by appointment only. 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.

To request a routine appointment in the next 7 days:

  • use our appointment request form
  • use your SystmOnline account
  • phone us on 01366 388888, Monday to Friday from 8am to 6pm – We have a lunch break from 12.30pm to 1.30pm.
  • visit the surgery and speak with a receptionist, Monday to Friday from 8.30am to 6pm – We have a lunch break from 12.30pm to 1.30pm.
  • use your NHS account (through the NHS website or NHS App) to book a screening test or vaccination

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.

Your appointment

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.

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.

Chaperones

We are committed to maintaining professional standards. For certain examinations during consultations an impartial observer, called a chaperone, will be required. 

This impartial observer will be a practice Nurse, Health Care Assistant or chaperone trained receptionist who is familiar with the procedure and be available to reassure and raise any concerns on your behalf. If a chaperone is unavailable at the time of your consultation, then your examination may be re-scheduled for another time. 

You are free to decline any examination or chose an alternative examiner or chaperone. You may also request a chaperone for any examination or consultation if one is not offered to you. The GP may not undertake an examination if a chaperone is declined. 

– Maintains professional boundaries during intimate examinations. 
– Acknowledges a patient’s vulnerability. 
– Provides emotional comfort and reassurance. 
– Assists in the examination. 
– Assists with undressing patients, if required. 

Cancelling or changing an appointment

To cancel your appointment:

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

Where possible, requests for visits should be made by telephone on 01366 388888 before 10.30am.

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.

Extended Access

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.

Visit our Improved Access page for further information

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.

Find a pharmacy

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.