Booking an Appointment

How does the Appointments System Work?

​We operate an appointment system that includes booked in advance appointments and some capacity for if your problem is urgent being seen on the same day. We also have a telephone appointments system where you can discuss your problem with a doctor on the phone, rather than coming to the surgery in person.

Appointments are released throughout the day and offered on a first come first served basis.

Routine management of long-term conditions will have pre-booked appointments either face to face or by the telephone.

On your first phone call, you will be offered the following options:

• An appointment with your own doctor or another doctor.
• The opportunity to speak to your doctor or another doctor on the phone.
• An appointment with a triage nurse, if it is a problem a nurse can deal with
• An appointment at one of our clinics, if that’s appropriate.
• An appointment at one of our clinics, or with another speciality practitioner, if that is appropriate.

If you want to cancel an appointment, please let us know as soon as possible so we can offer the appointment to another patient.

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On the day Appointments

​To book on the day appointments, call us at 08:00 that day and please don’t be put off if you are in a queue as there are multiple people answering calls especially at busy periods so the queue should reduce quite quickly.

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How to book an Appointment

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​Making the Most of your Appointment

Before your appointment:

• Write down your two or three most important questions.
• Write down details of your symptoms, including when they started and what makes them better or worse.
• Ask a friend or family member to come with you, if you like. Especially if they help care for you.

During your appointment:

• Don’t be afraid to ask if you don’t understand. For example ‘Can you say that again? I still don’t understand.’?
• If you don’t understand any words, ask for them to be written down and explained.
• Write things down, or ask a family member or friend to take notes.

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How do I cancel or move a booked appointment?

Please contact the reception team by telephone or send an online message.

How do I see a GP during the evening and weekends?

The practice offers some pre-booked Enhanced Access appointments during these hours and can be discussed with you.

Outside of availability for evening and weekend access to GPs, please either visit 111.nhs.uk or call the NHS on 111.

Why does the receptionist ask me to tell them the nature of my problem?

To try and direct our patients to the most appropriate member of our clinical team or refer to another service e.g., physio or mental health practitioner etc.

Not all conditions require a doctor’s appointment and can be directed to a more suitable professional. Many people are not aware of the different roles within the practice or the services we offer.

By obtaining a brief description, the receptionist can direct our patients appropriately.

All of our reception team are professional and patient confidentiality is of paramount importance.

What if I am not registered with a GP practice?

If you are a resident in the area and need to register with a practice, then it is best to look at practices near your home. You can check a GP practice area and boundary by visiting their website or checking for practices on https://www.nhs.uk/service-search/find-a-gp.

Registration Pack

Please download the below files with one set required for each person registering being completed.

Improved Access – HUB Appointments

Patients who are registered with one of the within West Norfolk are able to access an improved access appointment at either the Kings Lynn, or the Swaffham & Downham hub.

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The NHS App