Appointments

Urgent appointments

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

  • use our appointment request form, Monday to Friday from 7am to 4pm – Where possible, this is the preferable option to request an appointment through
  • phone us on 01243 782819, Monday to Friday from 8.30am – 12.30pm and 1.30pm – 6.00pm

We ask that patients avoid coming to the surgery to arrange an appointment if they are able to do so.

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.

Parklands Surgery operates a total triage system which is overseen by our doctors. Requests for an appointment, be they by telephone or AccuRx are added to a triaging list. Twice daily, this list is reviewed by our doctors who determine the level of urgency that the patient’s concern needs to be dealt with. 

The advantage of this system means that those patients with a more pressing concern will be consulted with earlier than those with a less urgent concern, rather than everyone being dealt with on a first come first served basis. 

A second advantage is that there is no longer the need to rush to make an 8.30am telephone call; calls made throughout the day will be added to the triaging list and they will be prioritised according to the condition rather than the time the call was made.

Doctor Triage
If you wish to see a doctor urgently, the receptionist will take your details and some information about your condition. The information will be passed to the duty doctor who will telephone you back depending upon the urgency of your need. You may receive telephone advice from the duty doctor or be given an appointment to see one of the doctors at the surgery. This system of triage enables the patients with the most urgent needs to be seen as a priority and for all patients to be dealt with in the most appropriate way. If you feel your matter is particularly urgent, please tell the receptionist that this is the case.

Nurse Triage
Some of the nurses at Parklands Surgery are able to prescribe medication and so many minor illnesses can be dealt with by one of these qualified nurses. You may be offered an appointment with the triage nurse on duty for that day. If the nurse is unable to help, she will contact the duty doctor.

Routine appointments

To request a routine appointment in the next 7 days:

  • use our appointment request form, Monday to Friday 7am to 4pm – Where possible, this is the preferable option to request an appointment through
  • phone us on 01243 782819, Monday to Friday from 8.30am – 12.30pm and 1.30pm – 6.00pm
  • use your NHS account (through the NHS website or NHS App) to book a screening test or vaccination

We ask that patients avoid coming to the surgery to arrange an appointment if they are able to do so.

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

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.

For your own protection and safety, a qualified chaperone will be present during an intimate examination. If you require a chaperone for any other reason, please ask your doctor. Click here to view our Chaperone Policy.

Buddy System
When doctors are on holiday or study leave, a locum doctor may be employed to cover their work. Each doctor has a nominated ‘buddy’ doctor within the practice, who is responsible for looking at the absent doctor’s results and post. If your regular doctor is on holiday, please try to see your buddy doctor if possible.  

Cancelling or changing an appointment

To cancel your appointment:

  • use your NHS account (through the NHS website or NHS App)
  • phone us on 01243 782819, Monday to Friday from 8.30am – 12.30pm and 1.30pm – 6.00pm
  • reply CANCEL to your appointment reminder text message

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

In some circumstances, a patient may require a home visit. Please ring the surgery on 01243 782819 before 10.00am if you feel you need a home visit. You will be contacted by one of the doctors by phone and he or she will decide the most appropriate way to help you. 

Generally speaking, home visits are reserved for people who are housebound due to physical illness, people who are in nursing homes or those who have special circumstances. The doctors ask that wherever possible, patients make every effort to attend the surgery so that they can be helped in the quickest time possible.

Extended Access

The surgery is open, for pre-booked appointments only, as follows: 

Tuesday
07:00 – 08:00 – Nurse Clinic
07:30 – 08:00 – GP Clinic
18:30 – 19:00 – GP Telephone Clinic

Wednesday
07:00 – 08:00 – Nurse Clinic
07:00 – 08:00 – Blood Tests
07:30 – 08:00 – GP Clinic
18:30 – 19:00 – GP Telephone Clinic

Whilst these additional pre-booked appointments are available for all patients, our preference is for them to be used by those in fulltime employment; we therefore request that our other patients try to book elsewhere in the week whenever possible.

The Practice is also part of the GP Access Hubs scheme. Further information is available on this service here.