Appointments

We only do surgeries by appointment. You can choose a face-to-face or telephone consultation.

A clinician will triage all GP and Advanced Nurse Practitioner appointments. The reception team will no longer make these appointments for you.

If you do not have digital access, the reception team can help. They will complete and submit your request for you.

Patients can submit their requests online between 7 am and 6 pm, Monday to Friday. A clinician will only review requests within these times. Outside these hours, we will triage requests on the following working day.

• You can book an HCSW or Practice Nurse appointment by:

  • Calling the surgery at 01782 276 999.

  • Visiting in person

  • Submitting an medical request via the NHS App

  • You can complete an online form for medical/admin queries.

When you submit a forhttps://access.login.nhs.uk/enter-emailm online, the surgery will pass your query to our triage team. They will reply without delay.

We try to make sure you see the doctor of your choice. If they are not available, we may ask you to see another doctor.

Routine Appointments

To request a non-urgent appointment within the next one to two weeks.

• Select the medical request section and submit your request.

• The Practice Team will review your request. We will contact you to either make an appointment or signpost you to a more suitable service.

• Our enhanced hours team may also offer you an appointment. This will be an evening or weekend appointment.

• Please do not submit urgent medical requests through the admin query option.

Same Day / Urgent Appointments

To request an urgent appointment for the same day.

• Select the medical request section and submit your request.

• The Practice Team will review your request. We will contact you to either make an appointment or signpost you to a more suitable service.

• Our enhanced hours team may also offer you an appointment. This will be an evening or weekend appointment.

• Please do not submit urgent medical requests through the admin query option.

Your Appointment

We will offer you the most appropriate type of appointment, dependent on your request. This may be:

• By phone

• Face to face at the surgery.

• On a video call.

• By text or email.

While patients may prefer a certain type of consultation, this may not always be suitable.

Please give us as much information as possible when submitting your request. This allows us to triage your request and book the correct appointment.

NB: Please can we remind all our patients that you should arrive on time for your appointment. If you’re more than 10 minutes late, we can’t guarantee that the clinician will see you. You’ll need to rebook your appointment. We understand it can be frustrating to wait when you’re running late to see the doctor. But sometimes this is beyond our control. Arriving late causes delays all day. This means appointments won’t run on time. Please call 01782 276999 if you are going to be late so we can notify the clinician or if you need to rearrange or cancel.

Home Visits

If you’re too ill to visit the surgery, please choose the medical request section. Then, submit your request before 10 am for a home visit. Home visits take more time for doctors. If you can move around, please come to the surgery for your appointment.

You might get a home visit from the Primary Care Network paramedic. They work with the practice and will talk to the doctor on call about your care.

Extended Access – Late Evening and Weekend Appointments

As part of Newcastle North Primary Care Network, we deliver extended hours on a Saturday.

We share these hours on a rota across our five practices:

• Audley Health Centre

• Heathcote Street Surgery

• Dr Harbidge and Partners

• Mount Road

• Talke Clinic

This lets our working patients book appointments on Saturdays. They don’t need to take time off. If you go to another practice, the clinicians will ask if they can see your medical records in the EMIS system. If you do not give consent, you will not be able to see a doctor.

This service is available to all registered patients.

Please ask at reception if you need further information.

Chaperones

We understand that you may wish for a chaperone to be present during your consultation.

Please ask one of the receptionists before your appointment. Our clinicians may also need a chaperone to be present in certain situations.

Changing an appointment or cancelling.

If you can’t make it to an appointment, please let us know right away. This way, we can offer the slot to someone else.

You can cancel your appointment in various ways:

• Through the NHS app.

• Via the link in your appointment reminder text message.

• Email: audleyadmin@staffs.nhs.uk

• Contact the surgery on 01782 276999.

• Complete our online form (48 hours before your appointment).

Non-Urgent Admin Request

• Select the admin query section and submit your request.

You can request the following:

• Letters from the GP

• A continuation/extension of your current fit note or sick note.

• An update on your referral.

• A repeat prescription/medication information.

• Get information on test results.

• Have a non-urgent medical request.

• Have a query about something else

Commonly asked questions

Why have you changed the appointment system?

This online system is a quick, easy, and flexible way to reach the practice for medical or admin questions. Patients are already using the service for non-urgent admin enquiries. We can sort these requests. This way, the right team at Audley Health Centre can handle them. Online consulting gives you flexibility. You don’t have to wait in a queue at 8 am. Filling it out is easy, but if you run into trouble, call the practice. We can help you complete it if needed.

We know this is a big change, but it’s necessary. It helps us give you the best and safest healthcare possible.

We get how frustrating it is to book an appointment with a clinician and how long it takes to reach the practice. We have listened to your feedback and have decided to move in a direction that is total triage.

Total Triage is now available in GP practices across the country. Patients are sharing positive feedback.

This changes how we book appointments. Instead of calling the practice at 8 am, when our lines are busiest, you will have a new way to secure your spot.

What are the benefits for patients?

• Flexible

• Convenient

• The right person for the right problem.

• No more waiting time in telephone queues.

• Appointment with your preferred clinician.

• Signposted to the appropriate service – Clinical, ARRS staff, Pharmacy, etc.

How does the online booking system work at Audley Health Centre?

Our online consultation system opens at 07:00 a.m.

You can contact us using the admin request option at any time during any working day. This is for non-urgent requests only.

What if I do not have access to the internet, or I am not well versed in how to get online?

If you can’t do this due to your personal situation, our care navigators can submit your request for you.

Patients can contact the surgery by phone or walk in, and a member of the team will support them with their request.

For those who are vulnerable or housebound, and unable to get to the surgery, we can offer home visits. Your GP will come to your home if your condition needs it and you cannot get to the surgery.

Please watch the video on how to use Total Triage