The Castle Practice: Appointments & visits

Appointments & visits

Routine Appointments

The practice has an appointment system, for GPs and nurses, based on ten-minute consultations. These can be made in person or by telephone up to 2 weeks in advance. As from September 2008, the Practice also has routine surgeries outside of normal working hours (early morning and late evening). These are for routine appointments only and not for emergencies. Please contact the Practice for more details.

Urgent appointments

From Monday to Friday, these requests are put on the telephone triage list, where a doctor or nurse will speak to you and assess the problem to decide the best course of action - either advice and/or treatment over the 'phone, a home visit or an appointment with the doctor, nurse or other health professional. The Triage system runs from 0800-1030 and then 1330-1700 Monday-Friday.

Home Visits

These are available for those who are too unwell, disabled or frail to be able to come to the surgery.

Whenever possible please telephone and request a home visit before 10.00am so that we can plan our house calls. Some details will be necessary to help assess the urgency of the visit, please be willing to provide these to the receptionist and if the matter is very urgent they will contact a doctor. After 10.00am we will accept request for emergency home visits only.

Please only request a home visit for genuine reasons, not convenience or transport.

It is safe to bring children with temperatures to the surgery by car. They will be seen as quickly as possible and if infectious can wait in a separate room.

If you are in doubt as to whether a home visit is necessary please ask to speak to a doctor. The doctor may 'phone you prior to the visit.