Appointments

 

For non-urgent issues, please follow the guidelines below and choose the right service. An appointment may not be necessary.

This will help us to be more efficient by making an appointment available to you when you need it the most.

Did you know?

You can be seen by one of our GPs on some Saturdays throughout the year as listed below:

  • 22 June
  • 10 August
  • 28 September
  • 9 November
  • 14 December

Please specify this in your Anima request.

Pharmacy First

Patients can now get treatment for seven common conditions directly from their local pharmacy, without the need for a GP appointment or prescription.

Patients suffering with any of these conditions can be treated with an appropriate antibiotic/antiviral medicine at participating community pharmacies.

  • Uncomplicated Urinary Tract Infection (Women aged 16 to 64 years)
  • Shingles (Aged 18 years and over)
  • Acute Otitis Media (Children aged 1-17 years)
  • Acute Sinusitis (Aged 12 years and over)
  • Infected Insect Bites (Aged 1 year and over)
  • Impetigo (Aged 1 year and over)
  • Acute Sore Throat (Aged 5 years and over)

Learn more about the Pharmacy First scheme

Request an Appointment

Request an appointment online with Anima

Patients need to complete an Anima request online. Your request will be viewed and triaged by GP.

In exceptional circumstances patients that cannot use Anima or those who are digitally disadvantaged can contact the surgery and the reception staff will be able to assist in submitting a form for the triage doctor.

All consultations, both with the doctors and nurses, are by appointment only.

We will try and offer you an appointment with your named GP where possible, however there may be times when an appointment with another clinician may be required.

Please only request a same day appointment for a problem that cannot wait until the next routine appointment.  We can only discuss one problem in an urgent appointment.

  • Morning telephone consultations will be between 8:00am to 12:30pm
  • Afternoon telephone consultations will be between 12:30pm to 6:00pm

Telephone Availability

Our telephone lines are open Monday to Friday from 8:30am to 12:30pm and 1:30pm to 6pm.

The period between 8:30am and 10:30am is usually very busy and we would request that you only call during these times if you require assistance to complete an Anima request for a same day appointment. 

To request test results we recommend you check your online medical record on the NHS App.

If you have queries about your medical treatment please submit an Anima request for the attention of the relevant clinician.

We would encourage all patients that can use online services should do so as this frees up our phone lines for more vulnerable patients who need our help.

Text Messaging Service

We have changed our text messaging service provider. Patients will now only receive one reminder message the day before their appointment.

If you wish to cancel the appointment then please reply to the message by texting the word "cancel" only. If you wish to receive text reminders please ensure we have your up-to-date mobile number. Please let us know if you do NOT wish to receive text message reminders and we can opt you out.

Home Visits

Home visits are intended for the truly housebound and those too ill to travel in the opinion of the doctor. Please be aware that our GPs will always call to assess the home visit request first.

Requests for home visits should be made before 11am.

Change or Cancel an Appointment

If you cannot attend an appointment for any reason please inform us as soon as possible in order for us to give the slot to someone else.

Ways to cancel

  1. Cancel an appointment online using Anima
  2. Respond with "CANCEL" to an SMS Reminder
  3. Cancel through the NHS App

Chaperones

There are occasions when patients need to be examined by a doctor which may involve intimate examinations.

This practice is committed to putting patients at ease whenever possible, and if you wish for a chaperone to be present during your examination please to not hesitate to ask the doctor for a chaperone.

It may not be possible for such a chaperone to be provided immediately and you may need to return for the examination to be carried out at a mutually convenient time.

Out of Hours

Enhanced Access

Improved Access at Evenings/Weekends

On the 1st October 2018 Improved Access was launched nationwide and you can now see a range of clinical professionals during:

  • weekday evenings between 6:30pm and 8pm
  • Saturdays and Sundays

These appointments offered could be:

  • at your registered practice
  • another local GP practices
  • another local NHS service - such as a General Practice Hub
What type of appointments will be available?

Evening appointments between 6:30pm to 8pm Monday to Friday will be offered by a practice in your area. These appointments will be offered by a range of clinical professionals. On Saturdays, a clinical professional will be available between 9am to 12pm. On Sundays and Bank Holidays a GP will be available between 9am to 12:30pm (at a hub in Tunbridge Wells or Maidstone).

Who can book these appointments?

Improved Access appointments are available for all patients registered with a West Kent practice. However, it will be unlikely that you will be seen by your normal GP and it is likely that you will have to go to a different surgery to your registered practice for these appointments.

How can I book an appointment?

Request an appointment online

You will not be able to phone the reception staff on Saturdays, Sundays / Bank Holidays or between 6:30pm to 8pm Monday to Friday.

Life Threatening

Call 999 or go to A&E now if:

 
  • you or someone you know needs immediate help
  • you have seriously harmed yourself - for example, by taking a drug overdose

A mental health emergency should be taken as seriously as a medical emergency.

Find your nearest A&E

Urgent But Not Life Threatening

Visit an urgent care centre if:

 
  • You have an urgent medical issue requiring on the day attention

Find Urgent Care Services

Non-urgent

Use NHS 111 if:

 
  • You need help now, but it's not an emergency

There will be someone to provide you with advice and to direct you to a clinician if it is necessary.

Visit NHS 111 Online