Appointments

If you wish to book an appointment with one of our GP’s or our nurse practitioner for a minor ailment problem, you can now do this online. You will need to visit the surgery with photographic proof of identity in order to register for this service and obtain your personal username and password.

Alternatively you may visit the surgery or telephone 020 8504 7364. Our lines are open each week day from 08:00 to 18:30. You may book to see a doctor or nurse of your choice up to 4 weeks in advance.

We keep a number of appointment slots for release on the day. In this way we can provide a service should you need to see a GP or nurse practitioner on the same day you make an appointment. These slots tend to be taken very quickly, so it is advisable to book your appointment when we open our lines at 08:00.

We do understand that it may be difficult to get through but we are working very hard to answer your calls quickly. Should the telephone message advise you that you are held in a queue, please hold the line and your call will be answered, in order, as soon as a receptionist is available.

We try to run our clinics on time, but occasionally they do overrun. Please assist us by attending your appointment on time. If you are more than 15 minutes late for your appointment, you may not be seen.

Telephone Consultations

We do have a number of telephone consultations available every day with a doctor or nurse practitioner. Please contact the surgery before 12:00 noon if you would like to make use of this service. One of our reception staff will take brief details from you and a doctor or nurse practitioner will telephone you later that day.

Urgent Appointment

If you need to see a doctor or nurse practitioner urgently, please let us know as soon as you can. It is almost always possible to speak to a doctor or nurse practitioner very quickly if it is urgent.

Extended Hours

Extended hours appointments are available at Kings Medical Centre, Buckhurst Hill on Tuesday evenings and also at Loughton Health Centre on Saturday mornings. Please contact the surgery for more information.

Weekend Appointments

We also offer evening and weekend GP appointments and weekend Nurse appointments at the Hub. This service is run from a local health centre and the appointments can be booked through our receptionists. Please contact the surgery for more information.

Chaperone

Please ask at reception or inform the doctor or nurse if you require a chaperone. Additionally, the clinician may request a chaperone. Our chaperones may be a member of the reception or admin team, however they have all received appropriate training.

If the clinician requests a chaperone, but you would rather a chaperone was not present, you will be offered the choice of booking an appointment with an alternative clinician.

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.

You can now see a GP or another healthcare professional on weekday evenings and weekends. To book an appointment, please call the surgery. To find out more about the service, including treatment centres where you may be seen, please go to 

https://hucweb.co.uk/services/gp-extended-access/ 

If you have booked an evening or weekend appointment in West Essex via your GP surgery and need to cancel or change it, please ring NHS 111 and select option 3

or call 07880 398840

Home Visits

Whilst we encourage our patients to come to the surgery, where we have the proper equipment and facilities available, we do appreciate this is not always possible. In this respect, if you do need a home visit, you can help us by calling reception before 12:00 noon.

You may only request a home visit if you are housebound or are too ill to visit the practice. Your GP will only visit you at home if they think that your medical condition requires it and will also decide how urgently a visit is needed. Please bear this in mind and be prepared to provide suitable details to enable the doctor to schedule house calls

You can also be visited at home by a community nurse if you are referred by your GP. You should also be visited at home by a health visitor if you have recently had a baby or if you are newly registered with a GP and have a child under five years.

Sickness Certificates

You do not require a doctor's sickness certificate for any illness lasting seven days or less. Your employer may however require you to complete a self-certification form (SC2) which is available from your employer or on the HMRC website.

Evidence that you are sick

If you are sick for more than seven days, your employer can ask you to give them some form of medical evidence to support payment of SSP (statutory sick pay).

It is up to your employer to decide whether you are incapable of work. A medical certificate, now called a 'Statement of Fitness for Work’ (see below) from your doctor is strong evidence that you are sick and would normally be accepted, unless there is evidence to prove otherwise.

You could also provide evidence from someone who is not a medical practitioner, e.g. a dentist. Your employer will decide whether or not this evidence is acceptable. If your employer has any doubts, they may still ask for a medical certificate from your GP.

Statement of Fitness for Work - ’Fit Note'

The 'fit note' was introduced on 6 April 2010. With your employer's support, the note will help you return to work sooner by providing more information about the effects of your illness or injury.

For more information see the DirectGov website (where this information was sourced).

Education & Training

GP Registrars

In addition to the regular team there are fully qualified doctors who join us for general practice training. They come to work in the practice having spent a number of years in hospital medicine before becoming a fully independent GP.