Appointments

At Almondbury Surgery we run an appointment system - all patients are seen by appointment only.  When booking appointments you may express a preference for a particular doctor but we must advise that whilst every effort will be made by the Practice we cannot guarantee that you will always be able to see the doctor of your choice.  Alternatively, you may be offered an appointment with our Nurse Practitioner.

Each doctor takes a turn at being the ‘duty doctor’ and any urgent on-the-day problems will be managed by the duty doctor.

Appointments can be booked up to four weeks in advance, however, some appointments are kept for same-day booking. Appointments can be made by telephoning reception on 01484 514555.

Routine appointment slots are 10 minutes so it is important that we make the best use of this time.  Due to time constraints within appointments it is best to concentrate on one health problem at a time rather than several unless you feel that they may be connected.  Be prepared to talk about what you feel is really wrong or may be an underlying problem.

Any patient aged between 16-75 years who have not been seen in the previous 3 years by a doctor or nurse may request an appointment. 

Any patient aged over 75 years who has not been seen by a doctor or nurse in the previous 12 months may request an appointment.

Please be a ‘patient’ patient – when surgeries are running late this is because the doctor has been held up with a more complicated case.  We thank you for your patience.

Appointments can be made in advance on our online service, if you are interested in this please call into the surgery to collect a form to sign up. You must provide photo identification and proof of address due to the data protection.

Appointments for Young People

Patients under the age of 16 years attending for an appointment should be accompanied by a responsible adult.

Telephone Consultations

You may book a telephone appointment with the doctor, nurse practitioner or practice nurse if you wish, for advice or to discuss results.  Telephone consultation appointments can be made by telephoning reception on 01484 514555.

Please note: if an examination may be necessary will we arrange for you to come in person to an appointment at the surgery.

Evening Appointments

We are now offering extended access appointments with our Doctors from 6.30pm to 8.00pm; ideal for those who work during the day. These appointments are available between Monday to Thursday to suit a variety of our patients.   

Missed Appointments

Due to the high number of missed appointments the Practice has found it necessary to adopt a strict Did Not Attend (DNA) Policy.  This action has been taken due to the amount of clinical time lost due to patients not attending or cancelling their appointments.  A copy of the Policy is available at the reception desk for any patient who would like to view it.

Please let us know if you cannot keep your appointment so that it can be offered to someone else, and please try to give us enough time to enable us to offer it to another patient.  We thank you for your cooperation.

Urgent Problems

The receptionist will ask you to provide some details about the problem.  The receptionist will contact the duty doctor who will offer advice, the doctor may contact you via the telephone or arrange an appointment to see you.

Please note: an emergency appointment is for one problem only. 

Chaperones

The Practice is committed to providing a safe, comfortable environment where patients and staff can be confident that best practice is followed at all times and the safety of everyone is of paramount importance.

All patients are entitled to have a chaperone present for any consultation, examination or procedure where they feel one is required.  The chaperone may be a family member or a friend. 

On occasions you may prefer a formal chaperone to be present, i.e. a trained member of staff. Wherever possible we would ask you to make the chaperone request at time of booking your appointment so that arrangements can be made.  Where this is not possible we will endeavour to provide a formal chaperone at the time of request, however occasionally it may be necessary to reschedule your appointment.

Your healthcare professional (the doctor, nurse practitioner or nurse) may also require a formal chaperone to be present for certain consultations in accordance with our Chaperone Policy.  A copy of the Policy is available at the reception desk for any patient who would like to view it.