How to Make and Cancel an Appointment

Care Navigation (Signposting)

Over the coming months you will notice your receptionist begin to ask for a brief outline of your problem when you ring to book an appointment.

This is because we are introducing something called “Care Navigation”. It means we are training receptionists and clerical staff to help them help patients by identifying the most appropriate place for their care.

Through this specialist training, our practice team will be able to direct you to the most appropriate health clinician for your needs first.

Receptionists will never offer clinical advice or triage; this new way of working is about offering you the choice to see more appropriate professionals in the practice team or even somewhere else. If they can deal with the problem directly, it will often be quicker and means you may not need to see the GP at all.   More Information...

 

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BOOK AN APPOINTMENT

 

Problems booking online appointments?

Use the Patient Access Support Pages before you call us.

 

Routine Appointments

Attendance at the surgery is by appointment only.

For urgent appointments please call us as early as possible.

Please note your appointment slot is intended as a guide. It may not always be possible to stick rigidly to these times.

Some appointment slots are held back on a daily basis to cater for emergency patient needs.

Every effort will be made to ensure that you are seen by a doctor, or given a telephone consultation as soon as possible.

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Extended Opening Hours

The Practice offers Extended Hours on top of our normal consultation times. 

We are available for pre-booked appointments for Extended Access from 6:30 to 8:00pm Monday to Friday and 9am to 5pm on Saturdays for GP and nurse appointments 

These appointments will be held either at The Medical Centre or another Maidstone Central Primary Care Network practice including The Vines, Bower Mount Medical Practice and Brewer Street Practice on a rotation basis.

Please check with a receptionist when you book.

 

The Triage System

We offer our patients a triage system, permitting them to make use of a telephone consultation. We often find that minor and/or straightforward matters can be dealt with efficiently and quickly over the telephone, saving time for the patient, and valuable appointment space for the surgery.

When phoning to book an appointment with the doctor, our receptionist may ask if we are able to help over the telephone. If you are happy to do this then they will ask you for a few details and you will receive a telephone call from a member of staff before the end of that surgery.

If you do need to see a doctor then of course every endeavour will be made to book you in as soon as possible.

 

Telephone Service

Our office hours are from 8.30am until 6pm.

Patients can contact the surgeries at any time during opening hours to speak to the doctor or nurse.

Should the clinician be in surgery and unable to take the call, all messages for the doctors and nurses are recorded on their appointment screen and they will return the patient's call as soon as possible.

 

Keep it or cancel it

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