Appointments

The practice has an appointments system which is reviewed regularly and discussed with our Patient Participation Group .

Appointments may be booked:

• in person
• by telephone
• by using online services such as apps.

With patient preference in mind, we now offer a choice of telephone/video appointments or face to face appointments, with GPs and Pharmacists. Please express your preference to Reception team member when booking your appointment.  Nurse appointments are a usually face to face.

Routine appointments can be made up to one month in advance, which will enable us to offer you an appointment at a time more suitable to your requirements. Each routine GP appointment is usually 10 minutes long (usually one problem per appointment) and each routine nurse appointment is 15 minutes. Double appointments may be arranged on request but only after the request is clinically assessed.

• What we do when you contact us: When you contact us, our practitioners assess how urgent your needs are.
• Urgent needs: If your need is clinically urgent, we will contact you and assess your needs on the same day, by a telephone or face-to-face appointment. If you contact us in the afternoon, we may contact you on the following day, but only if we decide that it is appropriate to wait.
• Non-urgent needs: If we decide that your need is not urgent, but requires a telephone or face-to-face appointment, we will schedule this within two weeks.
• Where appropriate, we will signpost you to community pharmacy and / or other local services.

Please help us to help you, by ensuring that you arrive on time for your face to face appointment and keep your phone near you for your telephone appointment. You may be asked to re-book your appointment if you are late for your face to face appointment or do not answer your phone for your telephone/video appointment.

The practice strives to usually offer routine planned appointments within 10 working days where practicable. However with unprecedented demand and escalating pressures on general practice, sometimes the wait may be longer and we thank you in advance for your understanding.

Children under 5 and patients with urgent problems will usually be triaged on the same day where practicable may usually be seen on the same day if this is considered clinically necessary by a GP.

Our practice is a part of IHL (Improving Health Limited) and are also able to offer you appointments at the Extended Primary Care Service at Tessa Jowell Health Centre. For further information: Click Here

Online Services

With residents increasingly required to access medical information and services online, Southwark Council has released a digital skills guide to help digitally excluded residents access help in getting online and improving their internet skills. For those who are online, the guide comes with easy to follow online videos. It also includes a helpline for residents, offering support and guidance. Copies of the guides are available in all Southwark libraries and from an increasing number of community digital hubs throughout Southwark.

More information can be found on the digital inclusion web pages at www.southwark.gov.uk/digital-inclusion or by calling the digital inclusion team on 07783776066.

E-consult Service:

Online Apps

You may download an app of your choice by clicking on the links below:

You can also download the NHS APP using the QR code: Click Here

Telephone/Video Consultations

If you are unable to attend the surgery and need medical advice, please contact the surgery to schedule a telephone/video consultation with a Doctor. These can also be booked using any of the apps above, subject to slots available.

Interpreters

Please note that we have access to telephone interpreting services and would be happy to arrange these for registration and for your appointments. Please make your needs clear to the receptionist at the time of booking the appointment for this to be arranged in advance. You may be required to book two appointment slots.

Cancellations

If you cannot attend an appointment for any reason please inform us as soon as possible so that it can be offered to someone who needs it. To help you we have made the cancellation process easier, you may reply to the appointment reminder sms with the word ‘CANCEL’ and your appointment will be automatically cancelled.