You & Your General Practice

You and your general practice!

This guide tells you what to expect from your general practice, and how you can help them, so you get the best from the National Health Service (NHS).

Your general practice is open from 8.00am to 6.30pm, Monday to Friday. 

Throughout these hours you, or your carer on your behalf, can:

  • Visit the practice
  • Call us
  • Go online using the practice’s website or the NHS App.

You can choose the way you contact your practice based on what is best for you.

If you need urgent help for your physical or mental health when the general practice is closed, and you cannot wait until they open, go online to 111.nhs.uk or call 111. They will tell you what to do next. If it’s a serious or life-threatening emergency, go straight to A&E (Accident and Emergency) or call 999.

What happens when you contact your practice to request an appointment?

Whether you make your request by phone, on-line or visiting us, you will be asked to give us some details so that we can assess what is best for you based on your clinical need. The practice team will consider your request for an appointment or medical advice and tell you within one working day what will happen next.

This could be:

  • An appointment that day or a subsequent day
  • A phone call that day or a subsequent day
  • A text message responding to your query
  • Advice to go to a pharmacy or another NHS service.

We will not tell you to just call back the next day.

You might be offered a face-to-face appointment or a phone call with a GP or other member of the practice staff, like a nurse or pharmacist. If you have a carer, they can speak for you with your consent.

You can ask to see a preferred healthcare professional, and the practice will try to meet your request, although you might have to wait longer for that person to be available. It can be helpful to see the same healthcare professional, particularly if you have a long-term health condition.

How can you help us?

  1. Be prepared: Before an appointment, think about writing down your symptoms, what you are worried about and what you want to talk about.
  2. Be on time: Being late for an appointment or being unavailable for a timed call-back can affect other patients.
  3. Cancel if needed: If you can’t go to your appointment, tell the practice as soon as you can, so that they can offer it to someone else.
  4. Use the NHS App or website: If you’re confident using smart phones or computers, you can book or cancel appointments, order repeat prescriptions, and see your test results online.
  5. Turn on notifications: If you use the NHS App, turn on notifications so the practice can contact you more easily.  Please keep an eye out for messages.
  6. Order repeat medicines on time: Make sure you ask for repeat prescriptions on time, so you don’t run out, and only order what you need.
  7. Join our Patient Participation Group: Our practice has a group of patients who can offer feedback on the services it delivers. Check out our page for more information.
If you want to give feedback, raise a concern or wish to make a formal complaint, ask to speak to the practice manager. If you don’t feel comfortable doing this, contact your integrated care board (ICB) – the local NHS body that oversees GPs practices. You can find your local integrated care on the NHS England website.  
You can also give feedback about your practice to your local Healthwatch. Their job is to make sure NHS leaders and other decision-makers hear your voice and use your feedback to improve care. Healthwatch is independent and impartial, and any information you share with them is confidential. To find your local Healthwatch visit the Healthwatch website.

More information can be found here