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Appointment Protocol
Guidance for patients
This guidance is designed to support patients to understand how we prioritise appointments and determine where to signpost a patient when they contact requesting help.
When contacting our practice for an appointment either by telephone or in person our Care Navigation Team will need to ask the following to be able to provide the right service at the right time:
- Patient Name
- DOB and/or Address
- Reason for the Call / Symptoms
- Preferred Contact Number
Appointment availability may vary depending on clinical resource.
1. Urgent (within 24 hours)
A patient requesting a same day appointment will be asked why they wish to be seen urgently. Depending on patients’ symptoms, where possible they will be signposted to the correct services e.g. pharmacy, physio etc. If we are unable to signpost patients to a relevant service, we will ask the patient to complete an eConsult online as this is the quickest way of having your request triaged by a clinician. You do not need a login or any passwords to use this service.
Patients need to go onto Gillingham Medical Practice website, click contact us, scroll down to Contact us via eConsult, and begin completing the eConsult questionnaire. The eConsult will come through to the practice and the Duty GP will triage the eConsult and make a clinical decision. You will either receive a text message or we will call you advising you of the outcome. If you are given a same day appointment and for some reason cannot make the appointment, then you may have to re-submit another eConsult the following day as these appointments are classed as urgent.
Please keep your mobile with if you require an on the day appointment. If a patient does not have access to the internet, then one of our team members will be able to complete the eConsult with the patient and submit to the duty GP for triage.
2. Routine book ahead
Our phone lines are open from 8.30am to 6.30pm Monday to Friday excluding bank holidays. Please either request these via E-Consult or call the surgery during these times to book a pre-bookable face to face/phone call appointment.
3. Extended Access appointments
We are pleased to offer routine appointments for patients in hours outside of the usual opening times. These are on Mondays at The Barn Surgery 7am to 8am, Wednesdays at Peacemarsh Surgery 7am to 8am and Thursdays at The Barn Surgery 6.30pm to 7.30pm.
Please note that our phone lines are closed during these times. If you need to cancel an appointment in these slots you will need to ring between 8.30am to 6.30pm or cancel in the NHS app.
If you are late for your appointment for any reason you may be asked to rebook your appointment, and your original appointment will be marked as “did not attend”.
4. eConsult
eConsult is available online via our website Gillingham Medical Practice between 8am to 6pm Monday to Friday (exc bank holidays). Any E-consults received after 4.30pm will not be triaged until the following working day. If your eConsult is being submitted after 4.30pm with very urgent or complex issues you should contact 111 for advice or access your nearest walk-in centre (details of these can be found on our website or our team can advise you).
5. Pharmacies
Pharmacies are also available to help during their working hours. Pharmacists can help with a variety of symptoms including but not limited to sickness/diarrhoea, bites/stings, ear ache, sore throats, impetigo, shingles, urine infections and medication queries. NHS find a pharmacy.
6. 111 / 111 Online
111 / 111 Online can help 24/7 to provide medical advice and assistance. You may then be referred to your usual GP. If you are referred to the GP and we are booked to capacity that day you may be referred to a local walk-in centre.
7. 999 / A&E
This is available 24/7 for medical emergencies.
8. Stay Well Dorset
Bringing you the best local health and care advice from Dorset’s NHS, councils, health and voluntary organisations.