Appointments
GP Appointments
Alnwick Medical is now an econsult Practice
- For all requests for an appointment with one of our clinicians please submit an eConsult on line and either follow a flow based on your condition or symptoms.
- If you call the practice for an appointment our team will now ask you a short set of triage questions to allow them to determine how best the practice can support you.
- If you have an administrative request of the practice i.e. Fit (sick) Note, Request For Access to Records, GP Letter then please send that in via eConsult
Please note at times when eConsult is unavailable this is due to a maximum capacity limit. We must limit capacity for eConsult in order to provide an equal access to our patients who do not have access to the internet.
Our practice operates on a same or next-day access to a clinician basis. All of our appointments are handled either by an ANP (Advanced Nurse Practitioner) or GP depending on clinical need and availability. If you would like an appointment or health advice from a clinician please submit an eConsult between 8am – 5pm Monday – Friday (Availability of eConsult is subject to daily patient demand. Once maximum capacity has been reached it will become available again from 8am on the next working day), or call the surgery 8am – 6pm Monday – Friday excluding bank holidays. Our receptionist will take you through a short set of triage questions as well as take your contact number and the doctor will call you back for a telephone consultation. If after speaking with you the doctor thinks they need to see you they may:
- Ask you to submit a photograph via our secure text service AccuRx
- Ask you to turn the call into a secure video consultation via AccuRx and Whereby
- Come into surgery, in which case they will make a mutually convenient appointment for you, this is usually on the same or following day.
You can submit your eConsult request between 8am – 5pm Monday to Friday (Availability of eConsult is subject to daily patient demand. Once maximum capacity has been reached it will become available again from 8am on the next working day) and we will respond by the end of the next working day.
You can access to submit your eConsult request via either:
- The NHS App on your SmartPhone To install Access NHS app online here and follow self-service registration
or
- Visit our eConsult portal.
A guarantee cannot be given as to the time the GP will call back as they will determine the priority of who to call first based on the triage information provided, It is helpful however if specific call back times are to be avoided – please add this information at the end of your online eConsult , or inform the receptionist so this information can be made available to the GP who will endeavour to call taking this information into account. For example – Please don’t call between 11:00 and 12:00
Phone lines are open 08.00-18:00
Alnwick – 01665 656000 for Advanced Nurse Practitioner appointments, GP appointments and general enquiries 08.00 until 18:00
Alnwick – 01665 606864 for Practice Nurse and Healthcare Assistant appointments that you have received a letter inviting you to book – this line is open between 8am – 12pm & 1pm – 4pm
Alnwick – 01665 510666 for Repeat Prescription order line opening times: Mon, Wed, Fri – 8.30-11.30 then 1.00-5pm
Alnwick – 01665 605600 for Administration line (i.e. referral and payment/accounts enquiries
Embleton – 01665 576635
Seahouses – 01665 720294
Extended access – Evenings and Saturdays
The practice recognises that for some patients face to face consultations are difficult to attend during our normal opening hours due to work commitments or child care arrangements.
The practice is able to offer a small number of appointments every Monday evening from 6:30pm – 8.00pm, as well as providing a Saturday morning surgery at our Alnwick site (Upper Building) from 9.00am-1.00pm, following prior arrangement.
Nurse appointments
Practice Nurses
Appointments with the practice nurses should be made via the Nurse Secretaries on 01665 606864 – this line is open between 8am – 12pm & 1pm – 4pm
District Nurses
For housebound patients who are unable to attend the surgery for nursing appointment e.g. blood tests, dressings and injections then please contact the District Nursing Team on 01665 650324
Home visits
When requesting a home visit, please try to call before 10.30am wherever possible. Home visits are available for patients who for example, are housebound or are so unwell they are unable to attend the surgery.
When you call us, the receptionist will take you through a short set of triage questions to help inform the clinician of the details of your request and the clinician may call you back to discuss the problem and assess the urgency and need for a home visit.
The clinician may advise you about the self-management of your medical concern, or arrange for you to see an ANP (Advanced Nurse Practitioner), GP, district nurse, health visitor or whoever is the most appropriate person to deal with your health problem, either by a visit or an appointment.
Urgent Problems and Out-of-hours
Urgent problems
In a life threatening emergency such as sudden severe chest pain, severe breathlessness, loss of power in a limb, loss of consciousness or severe bleeding dial 999.
Injuries
For any injury that might need stitching / glue or involves a broken bone, you should attend the local minor injuries unit at Alnwick Infirmary, South Road, Alnwick NE66 2NS. (Click for Google map)
In the event of poisoning or overdose attend A&E at NSECH, Northumbria Way, Cramlington, NE23 6NZ. (Click for Google map)
Out-of-hours
How do I get healthcare advice & assistance when the Surgery is Closed?
When the surgery is closed and you need medical help, which is not an emergency, you can access our eConsult Online Consultation and follow the links for advice, submit a request or if need to call someone for medical help – Call 111.
If required NHS 111 can contact the surgery to agree follow on care during our normal hours
Calls to 111 are free from landlines and mobile telephones. Lines are open 24/7, every day of the year.
CLICK HERE to get more information the NHS111 service