Appointments

For a GP telephone triage call back please click on the link on our home page to send an online request between 8.00am and 9.30am or telephone the surgery between 8.30am - 10.00am. A face-to-face appointment can only be booked by a GP as we are not able to offer advanced booking for routine appointments currently.

The main advantages of the Telephone Call Back System include:

1. More flexible.
2. Easier to speak to a Doctor of your choice.
3. Reduced time off work.
4. Better choice of appointment times to suit you.
5. Telephone call backs booked to suit you.

The Doctor or Nurse will only make 1 phone call to you so please ensure you are available to take their call. If you are out or if your phone is diverted to voicemail or answer service we will NOT attempt contact you again.

For an appointment with the Practice Nurse (for bloods /BP/ Smear/ Asthma review/ COPD review/ Diabetic review/ Warfarin), telephone after 2.00pm.

Our team have a limited amount of daily routine phone calls. These are booked on a first come, first served basis. Again, our team will ask you various questions that the GPs have asked them too. Please answer open and honestly. Please do not refuse to answer as we need this information. Someone from the team will call you back throughout that day. 

About Care Navigation

If you have an on-going problem, it makes sense to try the Doctor that usually treats you.

If possible please try to telephone reception before 10am if you require a home visit.

A doctor or nurse may phone you back as it may be that your problem can be dealt with by telephone advice, or that it would be more appropriate to send a nurse, or indeed arrange a hospital attendance.

House visits are only available for patients who are housebound because of illness or disability.

Please remember that several patients can be seen in the practice in the time that it takes to make one home visit. There are also better facilities for examining and treating patients at the Surgery.

The treatment room nurse is available by appointment only each morning from 8.30am until 12.20pm Monday to Friday and in the afternoon from 2:00pm to 4.30pm Monday, Tuesday and Thursday.

When ringing to book an appointment with the nurse please inform the reception staff the reason for your appointment as some procedures require more than 10 minutes routine appointment time.
Treatment Room Times

• Monday - Friday, 8.30am - 12.20pm
• Monday, Tuesday, Thursday 2.00pm - 4.30pm

It is important that you inform the reception staff if you are unable to attend your appointment, this will allow that appointment to be offered to another patient. If you fail to notify the Practice that you are unable to attend, you will be sent a letter informing you that you have defaulted from your appointment. Persistent defaulters maybe removed from the list.

You can also complete our appointment cancellation notification request form. This can only be used if your appointment has been arranged for more than 24 hours in advance. (excluding weekends and public holidays). You can also text to cancel your appointment.

DNA Policy

Failure to attend or cancel an appointment results in reduced availability for other patients and wasted time. Patients who DNA an appointment 3 times within a twelve month period will be sent a warning letter informing them of the consequences. To cancel an appointment you can either, ring the surgery, call in and speak to the receptionist in person, send a letter or send an email.

You do not always need to see a GP. Please attend your local pharmacy for free confidential advice and treatment for:

• Acne
• Groin infection
• Oral thrush
• Athletes foot
• Threadworms
• Scabies
• Diarrhoea
• Vaginal thrush
• Verrucae
• Haemorrhoids
• Earwax
• Headlice
• Mouth ulcers

We have a texting service which allows you to receive confirmation and reminders about your appointments.

To have this service you will need to register by completing a consent form.

Please remember to update your contact details with us when you change address, telephone numbers and email address.

Please attend your appointment on time, if you are late you may not be seen.

If you are not seen you will not be able to rearrange your appointment until the next working day-except in the event of an medical emergency that requires immediate attention.

If you require an interpreter to attend with you when you see your Doctor please notify the receptionist and she will arrange this for you.

Carrick Hill Medical Practice is based in a residential area. 

We kindly request that you respect the residents and do not park outside their houses when attending the surgery. 

Please use the buzzer to gain access into the car park to attend an appointment or pick up a prescription.

We would encourage all our patients to contact the surgery or see the doctor during normal open hours before attending Accident and Emergency.

When the surgery is closed we would encourage our patients to contact the Out of Hours GP for emergency medical advice.

Most problems can be sorted by the GP or Practice Nurse rather than by the Accident and Emergency Department.

This will avoid unnecessary attendances and long waits to be seen at the hospital.

We will always respect your privacy, dignity and your religious and cultural beliefs particularly when intimate examinations are advisable - these will only be carried out with your express agreement and you will be offered a chaperone to attend the examination if you so wish.

You may also request a chaperone when making the appointment or on arrival at the surgery (please let the receptionist know) or at any time during the consultation.