Making an Appointment
The only way to request an appointment is via our online triage form:
- Use our ‘contact us form’, Monday to Friday from 8am-6.30pm
- If you are unable to complete the form yourself, a friend or family member can do so on your behalf.
- Alternatively please phone us or walk in and one of our team will complete the form alongside you.
- The duty doctor will review your form and use the information given to choose the most suitable doctor, nurse or health professional to help you.
- You can also use this form to submit admin queries and one of the administration team will respond.
Can reception make me an appointment instead?
- From now on, whether you visit in person or contact reception by phone, they will no longer be booking doctor’s appointments. They will help you complete the form if you struggle to do it yourself.
More information about our online triage form can be found here.
Your appointment
However you choose to contact us, we may offer you a consultation:
- by phone
- face to face at the surgery
- by text or email
Appointments by phone, or by text or email can be more flexible and often means you get help sooner.
Cancelling or changing an appointment
To cancel your appointment:
- use your NHS account (through the NHS website or NHS App)
- using Patient Access
- phone us on 0208 650 1274, and choose option 1
- reply CANCEL to your appointment reminder text message
If you need help when we are closed
If you need medical help now, use NHS 111 online or call 111.
NHS 111 online is for people aged 5 and over. Call 111 if you need help for a child under 5.
Call 999 in a medical or mental health emergency. This is when someone is seriously ill or injured and their life is at risk.
If you need help with your appointment
Please tell us:
- if there’s a specific doctor, nurse or other health professional you would prefer to respond
- if you would prefer to consult with the doctor or nurse by phone, face-to-face, by video call or by text or email
- if you need an interpreter
- if you have any other access or communication needs
Home visits
If you are housebound and need an appointment, we will do a home visit. We will phone you first to understand what you need.
To request a home visit, it’s helpful if you phone the practice as soon after 8am as possible
More information about our online triage system
How to use Patient Triage
From 17th June 2024- this form will be the only way to submit any medical & admin queries
Here is an example of what you will be asked to fill in the triage form
What if I do not have access to the internet or struggle to complete forms?
Please telephone the reception and they will fill in an abbreviated form on your behalf.
Can reception make me an appointment instead?
From now on, whether you visit in person or contact them by phone, they will no longer be able to booking you a doctor’s appointment. They will help you complete the form for medical query if you struggle to do it yourself.
How long will it take to fill in the form?
For medical queries if will take 5-7 minutes. For administrative or simple issues it is even shorter
- Examples of admin issues are –to ask about a fit (sick) note.
- Examples of simple issues are – change of contact details such as a mobile number
How long will it take to hear from the practice?
For all medical issues the practice will get back in touch at the latest by the end of second working day after you submitted your query but this will be much quicker in urgent cases.
When the surgery contacts you it will either be by text, email or by a phone call. You may be offered either an appointment, advice, or help direct and arrange your care from appropriate healthcare services in the community that we work with, such as a social prescriber, pharmacist, nurse etc.
Why do I need to complete a form or answer the questions the reception team ask me?
So that the person who looks at all the information submitted can provide you with the appointment or advice you need and ensure that you consult with the right person in the right time period. Eden Park Surgery now has a number of additional practitioners working alongside the GP’s. These include First Contact Physiotherapists, Social Prescribers, a Practice Pharmacist and a Mental Health Practitioner. It may be more appropriate for you to see or speak to one of them.
Will I get an appointment quicker if I speak to reception instead?
No, the reception team will no longer be making routine GP appointments with patients directly. All methods of completing the triage forms, either online, in person or over the phone will be assessed equally.
I don’t feel comfortable telling reception about my medical issue
Please be assured that anything you discuss with a receptionist will be treated with absolute privacy and respect. All staff within the Eden Park Surgery’s team, including receptionists, sign a confidentiality agreement, meaning anything you discuss with them is not shared inappropriately.
What if English is not my main spoken language?
In the same way that clinicians frequently use an official translation service on the phone the receptionists will also be able to access this if the patient they are speaking to is on the phone or in person in the surgery.
Will I have to fill in the same questionnaire every time I need an appointment?
For each new contact you will be asked to fill in an online questionnaire. However, follow up appointments are normally arranged by clinicians who will often ask patients to speak to reception to book subsequent appointments for relevant investigations such as blood tests and then, following that, book a follow up appointment with the GP or other clinician.
Does this mean I won’t see a GP anymore?
No. AccuRx Triage is just a preliminary way of collecting information to ensure you are seen by the right person in the right way, not a way of deflecting medical issues that need contact with a GP.