Appointments

What is Active Signposting?

The Situation
The NHS is under pressure, illnesses are becoming more complicated, the population is living longer and budgets are being cut. GP’s need to spend more time with complex cases and those with chronic conditions. It is important that other members of the clinical team see patients appropriate to their skill sets.
The solution
Your NHS now offers a large number of Community Services and self-care options that you can access, without the need for you to see your GP.
If you request an appointment with the Practice, the receptionist may ask you the reason why you are asking for an appointment. If you provide the reason for your call, there is a possibility that the receptionist may be able to give you information about a service or self-care source that you could access for your symptoms, without the need for you to see a GP.
This will help to make sure that you, our Patient is given access to the most appropriate health professional with the least possible delay.
It is then your choice what to do with the information you are provided with, Favell Plus wishes to empower you to get the best clinical advice and support.

The process
The Patient explains their problem to specially trained receptionists who has access to available care.
Receptionists then signposts patient to appropriate source of help whether that’s in the practice or somewhere else.
This can be one of the many community services or self-care options.
To help make sure you receive:
The most appropriate medical care
From the most appropriate health professional
At the most appropriate time

At the surgery we offer both Advanced clinical prescriber, practice nurse, HCA and GP appointments on weekdays. Please note that we do not operate any walk-in clinics and all appointments must be booked in advance

Your doctor, clinical prescriber  practice nurse or HCA  may recommend that you book a follow-up appointment at the surgery, or you may wish to be seen for a new condition. Both of these are managed using the same procedure

Telephone Access

Our telephone lines are extremely busy between the hours of 8am-12pm. If your call is not Urgent please telephone after these times. We completely understand your frustration and we are are currently recruiting to compensate staff shortages and we appreciate your patience whilst we try to complete this process. In the interim please telephone our Branch Surgery Penvale Park on 01604 700660 where staff will be able to assist you with your queries. 

Phone Reception @ Earls Barton & Penvale Park 01604 813940/01604700660 from 8.00am-6.30pm

GP Consultations

GP consultations are normally scheduled for 10 minutes, but if you have more than one condition or a complicated history please ask to book an extended appointment.

Telephone Consultation Appointments

Telephone consultations are  available every day both AM and PM. To request a telephone consultation please call on the same day from 8.00am. Again it is advisable to call early to avoid disappointment.

Urgent Appointments

We are a busy practice and provide a limited number of same day appointments to make it easier for people with acute conditions to see a doctor quickly. These appointments can be booked from 8:00am and it is advised that you phone early to avoid disappointment. The appointments are triaged and you may need to discuss the condition with a member of staff before an appointment can be allocated. This is to ensure you are navigated to the most appropriate clinician

Routine Appointments

Currently all appointments to speak to a clinican are on a same day triage basis, please call the surgery at 8am on a day when you are available.

Routine appointments with the nurses, health care assistants and phlebotomists are available in advance. Please call the surgery to book these where possible after 10.30 am

When Should I See a Clinical Practitioner?

Nurses based at our practice treat patients for a wide range of common conditions and run many of our clinics. You can expect to see a nurse within 1 working day. Our Nurse Prescriber also runs a minor illness and injury clinic during weekday mornings and is qualified to prescribe from a range of medicines.

Examples of what our clinical practitioners and nurses deal with include:

  • Coughs, sore throats and earaches
  • Minor illness issues
  • Stomach pains
  • Colds, flu and fever
  • Diarrhoea and sickness
  • Rashes and skin infections
  • Allergic reactions
  • Cystitis, thrush and vaginal problems
  • Childhood illnesses
  • Emergency contraception
  • General health advice
  • Lumps and bumps

If you are unsure whether you should be seen by a GP or a nurse our reception staff will be able to advise you.

Cancellations

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. If you miss your appointment, you will be informed via text, if available, and a letter will be sent and added to your NHS record.