Appointments

How to Make an Appointment

Call the Practice

Call 01905 772389 between 08:30 and 18:00 Monday to Friday.

Press option 2 to book an appointment. 

Our team will ask you for a reason for the appointment. This is to ensure you get the right care and treatment. Please be reassured Spa Medical Practice adheres to a strict confidential policy. 

When the practice is running a campaign – a text will be sent from the practice with the option to book an appointment online.

This link is safe and secure. The practice will never ask for any payment information.

Please note incoming and outgoing calls are recorded for training and monitoring purposes.

Who to Book an Appointment With

Our Clincal Team is varied and you may be offered an appointment with any one of the following members of the practice team:

  • a doctor
  • an acute care practitioner
  • a nurse or health care assistant
  • a clinical pharmacist
  • a physiotherapist

For Minor Ailments we may direct you to a consultation with a Community Pharmacist 

Our team will help you book your appointment with the most appropriate health care professional at the practice and you will be asked for information to help with this. The practice follows strict confidentiality guidelines. 

Types of GP Appointments Available

  1. Pre-bookable appointment with your Usual GP – available 6 weeks in advance.
  2. Pre-bookable appointment with any GP within 48 hours if you cannot wait for your own GP
  3. Urgent same day appointment with Advanced Care Practitioner or Duty Dr – Care Navigator will advise
  4. Urgent phone triage appointment with Mental Health Practitioner
  5. Routine appointment with Mental Health Practitioner for follow up
  6. Urgent phone triage appointment with First Contact Physio
  7. Routine appointment with First Contact Physio for follow up

Minor Ailments via the Community Pharmacy Scheme

Pharmacists are highly trained healthcare professionals who can provide advice on common health problems and, if necessary, prescribe the best medicines to treat them.

You no longer need to make an appointment with a GP if your ailment is listed below:

  • Coughs, colds and sore throats
  • Hayfever & allergies
  • Rashes including eczema and athlete’s foot
  • Earache, headaches and migraines
  • Constipation and diarrhoea
  • Indigestions/heartburn
  • Bites and stings
  • Cold sores and mouth ulcers
  • Conjunctivitis
  • Haemorrhoids
  • Nappy rash, teething and oral thrush
  • Scabies
  • Threadworms
  • Sprains and strains
  • Cystitis and vaginal thrush
  • Headlice

We can refer you for a same day consultation, or you can attend the Pharmacy without contacting us.

Extended Practice Hours

The Extended Hours scheme is now offering additional GP appointments Monday to Friday (excluding Bank Holidays) as well as Saturdays from 9am to 5pm. Please contact the practice for details. 

NHS APP

You can download the NHS App to your phone. The NHS App lets you book GP appointments, order repeat prescriptions, view your GP held medical record and access a range of other healthcare services. For this app, you do not need to come into the practice with ID.

For more information please click on https://www.nhs.uk/apps-library/nhs-app/

The NHS App is free to download from Apple Store or Google Play.

Register for Patient Access

Patient Access is an online facility allowing patients to view and cancel appointments, as well as order repeat prescriptions.

To register for this service, you will need provide the surgery with 2 forms of ID, of which one must be photographic i.e. a valid passport or valid driving licence.

Once you have registered for Patient Access with the practice, you will be given a unique registration (PIN) number that will enable you to register online with Patient Access. Please note the practice does not have a record of your password or your security questions.

Text Reminder Service

Our text service will send you appointment confirmations and reminders.

Please remember to update your contact details with us if you change your mobile number.

Missed Appointments & Lateness

If you are unable to attend your appointment, please let us know so that someone else can be seen in your place. 

If you are using the Text Reminder Option, appointments can also be cancelled via this text.

It is Practice policy that, if you are more than 10 minutes late, you may have to re-book an appointment.

Home Visits

Patients are requested, where possible, to telephone before 11am if a home visit is required that day. All home visit requests are triaged by telephone initially by the clinician. 

We request that, apart from the genuinely housebound, all other patients attend the surgery because of the extra time home visiting takes. On average, four to five patients can be seen in surgery in the time it takes to do a single house call.

In addition, the lack of adequate lighting, examination facilities, and equipment means that you may not receive such a good service as the doctor may be able to offer if you came to the surgery.

Ultimately, it is the doctor’s decision whether a home visit is appropriate for a particular set of circumstances. 

Chaperones

All patients are entitled to have a chaperone present for any consultation, examination or procedure. The chaperone may be a family member or friend, but on occasions a formal chaperone may be preferred.

If you would like a chaperone provided, please make this request at the time of booking an appointment so that arrangements can be made and the appointment is not delayed.

The Healthcare Professional may also require a chaperone to be present for certain consultations.

We are a Training Practice

Dr Panton, Dr Steven and Dr Fitton are our GP Trainers who oversee trainee doctors. Trainee doctors are with us for six months and trainee registrars for a year. 

We occasionally record consultations for teaching purposes, but prior to doing this will always obtain your written consent. This is to assess the doctor’s performance only. If you do not wish to have your consultation recorded, please let the doctor know; this will not affect your treatment. These videos are kept securely and erased as soon as their teaching role is finished.