Before booking an appointment with the doctor, please consider whether one of the following options would be more appropriate:
1. The Minor Ailment Scheme - this is provided by certain local pharmacies.
If you are suffering from certain minor ailments, you may have a personal consultation with the pharmacist who will be able to recommend appropriate treatment. If you do not normally pay for your prescriptions, you will be given medication by the pharmacist to treat your ailment free of charge.
Further information on this scheme can be obtained from the surgery.
2. See an optician for eye problems, a dentist for dental problems and a podiatrist for foot problems.
3. When the surgery is closed and you are not sure if you can wait until the surgery re-opens, you can ring 111 for advice.
You do not usually need to see a doctor for the following, unless advised to do so; First week self certification forms (these are obtained from your employer) DSS forms, housing letters, Blue Badge application forms, insurance letters etc.*
*Some of these may incur charges.
Routine Appointments
Appointments may be made by telephoning or by calling at the surgery. Routine appointments may be made well in advance (maximum three months), which will enable us to offer you an appointment at a time best suitable to your requirements. We are also now offering on-line booking of appointments to see GP’s or Nurse Practioners.
Emergency Appointments
In these circumstances, please telephone the surgery and the receptionist on duty will take your name and number and a brief description of you symptoms. Cath, our triage nurse, will ring you back. The role of the triage nurse is to assess your symptoms, to see whether you would be better being seen by a Doctor or a Nurse. Sometimes you may not need to be seen by one of the healthcare professionals at the surgery, but would be better treated by a visit to the pharmacy. If it is necessary for you to be seen by the Doctor covering emergencies, the triage Nurse will issue you with an urgent appointment. If you are confronted by a serious problem such as severe chest pain or abnormal bleeding, call an Ambulance.
If you cannot keep an appointment, please inform us as soon as possible as this will enable us to offer that appointment to someone else.
Checking In
When you arrive for your appointment please inform a receptionist on the front desk. Your name will appear on the screen in the waiting room when it is your turn to see the Doctor, Nurse or HCA. Please note that each appointment is for 10 minutes only with the GP and is 15 minutes with other clinicians.
Extended Opening Hours
We hold sessions outside the normal working day and these are intended for those patients who are working full-time and cannot manage to make appointments at any other time. These sessions are held on a Monday 18.30-pm-19.30pm and on a Tuesday morning between 7.30-8.00am by our Nurse Practitioner, Shirley Hardy. However, our Health Care Assistant, Alex, also holds early morning appointments every Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday from 7:30am-8:00am.
Chaperone
Barrowford Surgery is committed to providing an environment where you feel safe and comfortable at all times. Some health care procedures can make patients feel vulnerable; hence a chaperone may assist in supporting and reassuring the patient during an examination/procedure. You can expect to be offered a chaperone for any intimate procedure or examination. Patients are welcome to have a family member/friend present but they cannot take the place of a formal chaperone.