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Appointments

From January 2024 we have changed the way we book our appointments. This is in part driven by NHS England who are changing the GP Contract, but also to help us achieve our surgery aims which we hope will improve patient experience. These are:

• To ensure patients are dealt with in an appropriate time frame for their issue and appointments are allocated according to health needs
• To avoid the 8am scramble for appointments
• To free up GP appointments for those that need them by utilising our expanding health team which includes physician associates, pharmacists, physios and many more

Going forward instead of ringing the surgery, we ask patients to submit an online request on our website:

You can also submit your request via the NHS App.

This can be for medical or admin queries. This function will be open between 8am and 3.30pm. If you or a relative are unable to do this yourselves then we will be able to do this for you over the phone. However, the quickest way will be online. Should you require urgent help from a GP after 3.30pm please contact the surgery or call 111.

After your request has been submitted, a member of the team will deal with your request within 2 days. Medical queries will be triaged by a GP on the same day and an appropriate response given – this may be for a face-to-face appointment, a telephone appointment or advice for self-care or to use the pharmacy.

It is important to note that this system does not provide us with any additional appointments and so we ask our patients to use it sensibly. If we find the system is being abused or overused we will have to broach that with individual patients. The hope is that patients will be seen in an appropriate time frame for their problem which has been decided by a qualified Doctor. As such receptionists will be unable to override the decision made by the Doctor.

Change Of Address

If you change your name, address or telephone number, please let our receptionists know by calling or writing to us. We now require proof of the address change, so patients will please need to bring some form of documentation of the new address into the surgery. If you move outside the practice area you may need to find a doctor in your new area. There are instructions on what to do when you move to a new area on the back of your NHS medical card.

Carers

If you have responsibility for the care of another person please let us know so that our records are complete. This enables us to provide you with the best possible care.

Disabled access

Our premises are fully accessible for people who need wheelchair access.  All the facilities within the practice are also designed for use by patients with disabilities.  If you require assistance to enter the building a member of staff would be more than happy to help. 

Home Visits

The doctors are happy to visit the housebound, elderly and terminally ill patients at home if there is a medical need for a visit. Please tell the receptionist as soon as possible that day, preferably before 11.00am and the doctor will then discuss your problem and decide where it is best to see you.

The home visit may be from our home visiting team of trained paramedics or one of the GPs.

Please remember that several patients can be seen in the practice in the time that it takes to make one home visit. There are also better facilities for examining and treating patients at the surgery.

Weekend Appointments

In partnership with your GP, Cumbria Health are offering WEEKEND APPOINTMENTS at Furness General Hospital or Westmorland General Hospital. You will be seen by a GP who has access to your medical records and who can provide the same services as your usual GP. Healthcare appointments are also available. Please ask at the surgery if you would like to book a weekend appointment.