Appointments

The practice doctors are on duty from 08:30 until 18:00 daily Monday to Friday (excepting Bank Holidays). The surgery is open every weekday (apart from Bank Holidays) between 08:30 and 18:00 with a later opening from 18:30 to 20.45 on evening per week, to accommodate the working population. We shut every lunctime between 1.00pm and 2.00pm.

We run a full appointment system at St Germans and Downderry. To make an appointment at either St Germans or Downderry please telephone 01503 230088 (calls may be recorded)

• Appointments can be booked up to 3 months in advance for all clinics
• Appointments can be booked with your Doctor on-line up to 1 month in advance (please enquire at reception)
• On the day appointments are limited and we cannot guarantee that you will see the Doctor of your choice

It is recommended that you book in advance when possible

Appointments are normally booked at 10 minute intervals but you may have longer if you feel you will need it – please ask when you make an appointment (if you spend longer in your consultation then this can cause delays for other patients).  It is recommended that you ask for a longer appointment if you have multiple problems to discuss. 

We have some appointments that are bookable and also some which you can book on the day. 

You can see the Doctor of your choice within 2 working days unless they are on leave. Please try and see your usual doctor whenever possible.

If your request is urgent please say so and you will be seen the same day by whichever doctor is available.

Your doctor will always try to run to time but please be patient if he is running late as it means someone has been ill enough to require extra attention.

We have trained chaperones available at the surgery.  If you would like a chaperone during your consultation then please let the receptionist know at the time of booking or before your appointment. 

You may also book GP appointments online.  Please contact the surgery to register for this service.

MINOR INJURIES

The Practice provides a Minor Injury service which is run during Practice opening hours.  8.30am - 1pm & 2pm - 6pm (Monday-Friday)

SEE A GP BY VIDEO WITH LIVI

This practice now offers a video GP service – LIVI – to all our patients. To access the service simply download LIVI from the App store (iphone) or Google Play (Android), and sign up. You can get medical advice, prescriptions and referrals by video, with appointments available on the same day, even at weekends.

Get the LIVI app here:  https://bit.ly/2KySedD

Home Visits

Where possible we would prefer to see our patients at the surgery, as consultations at the surgery are much more effective.  However, if you are too unwell to attend the surgery or if you are housebound, then telephone the surgery preferably before 10am to enable the doctors to plan their day. 

It is helpful to the doctor if you can give the receptionist an indication of your problem.

Active Signposting

You may have noticed some changes at the surgery recently when asking for an appointment with a GP. A recent study by the NHS Alliance found that across the country 27% of GP appointments could potentially be seen more quickly by other healthcare professionals or simply that patients didn’t actually need an appointment.  As part of the General Practice Forward View the Government training is being offered to General Practice in active signposting for receptionists.  Many surgeries are introducing these changes as their clinical teams expand.  Patients are not always aware that their medical condition could be dealt with by another healthcare professional or their query could be dealt with by someone else.

What has changed?

The receptionists will sensitively ascertain the nature of the patient’s need. Not all medical conditions require being seen by the doctor, so by making sure the patient is seen promptly and by the correct clinical staff has huge benefits to the patient’s health but also to the system as a whole. Those needing to see a clinician are booked an appointment with the most appropriate person within the practice such as a GP, Practice Nurse, Physio, Chronic Disease Nurse, Healthcare Assistant or Phlebotomist.

By asking for a brief idea of why you need to be seen the receptionist can explore safe and appropriate options to see if another member of the team is more suitable. It is possible that you don’t actually need to be seen by a GP. It also helps the clinician prepare for your consultation if they know why you are attending

Benefits for practices: Currently, a lot of a GP’s time can be taken up by seeing patients with conditions that do not warrant an appointment with a doctor and which could be dealt with by an alternative healthcare professional. This would then free up an appointment with a GP for a patient who really needs it.

Benefits for patients: This new initiative gives patients more control over their own care because it offers them the choice of a service that better suits their health and wellbeing needs. Active Signposting also improves access for patients who do need to see a GP, as patients who do not necessarily need to see a GP are directed to a more appropriate service. It also means that it is easier for patients to get an appointment with the GP when they need it.

Thank you for helping us to book you in with the right person. If you do not wish to tell the receptionist why you are attending then that is okay too, just let them know.