Appointment system

Last Updated: Tuesday, 27 August 2024

We have developed an appointment system where the majority of our appointments are bookable ‘on the day’.  This is because many of our patients are elderly or have long-term health conditions, so require rapid access to an appointment with their preferred GP, for continuity of care.

On the day appointments are available to request from 08:30 by telephone only to ensure that:

• Patients have similar access to these appointments
• Receptionists are available to answer the telephone.

You may be asked if your problem is urgent for today and the reason for your appointment, to ensure that:

• We prioritise the patients who are most unwell
• We deal with your problem in the most appropriate way.

You may choose either a face to face consultation or a telephone consultation - our reception staff will be able to assist you with that decision. 

Face-to-face consultations

A face-to-face consultation should be the default for new problems, and if you feel you might require an examination.  A small number of our face-to-face, on-the-day Advanced Nurse Practitioner appointments (for one new physical health problem only), are made available to book online via the NHS App.  

Telephone consultations

A telephone consultation is most appropriate for following-up a medical problem that has already been assessed face-to-face.  We are aware that many working-age patients prefer the convenience of a telephone consultation.  Thankfully, it is now possible to assess many more problems remotely using camera phone photos and video consultations.

Urgent afternoon appointments

We have a small number of additional 'urgent' appointments available after 14:00, for patients who become unwell during the day & their problem cannot wait until the following day.  These are ideal for children who become very unwell whilst at school or nursery that day.

Pre-bookable appointments

We also have some 'pre-bookable' appointments at the start and end of every day, which are made available on a rolling basis up to two weeks in advance.  Pre-bookable appointments are only available for specific things - baby/ postnatal checks, contraceptive/ HRT reviews, planned procedures, or if one of the GPs has requested it. Alternatively, you may be offered an appointment with the 7-Day GP Service, which provides pre-bookable evening and weekend appointments for patients across Southport and Formby.