Understanding How Your GP Practice Works

You and your general practice 

For further information please visit the NHS England website

What happens when you contact your practice to request an appointment? 

Whether you make your request on-line, by phone or visiting your practice, you may be asked to give some details so that the team can assess what is best for you based on your clinical need. The practice team will consider your request for an appointment or medical advice and tell you within one working day what will happen next. 

This could be: 

• An appointment that day or a subsequent day 
• A phone call that day or a subsequent day 
• A text message responding to your query 
• Advice to go to a pharmacy or another NHS service. 

The practice will decide what is best for you based on your clinical need. 

Who might help you? 

You might be offered a face-to-face appointment or a phone call with a GP or other member of the practice staff, like a nurse or pharmacist. 

If you have a carer, they can speak for you with your consent. 

You can ask to see a preferred healthcare professional, and the practice will try to meet your request, although you might have to wait longer for that person to be available. 

We understand that it can be helpful to see the same healthcare professional, particularly if you have a long-term health condition. 

From what age can you see a GP on your own? 

If you are 16 or older, you can make and go to appointments by yourself. 

If you are under 16, you can still ask to see a GP without your parent or guardian. The GP will decide if that’s appropriate for you. 

What if you need extra help? 

If you do not speak English, you can ask for interpretation services in your preferred language when you make an appointment. 

If you need extra help like longer appointments, a quiet space, wheelchair access, or information in a different format, please let us know and we will do our best to help you. 

Can you choose which hospital or clinic you are referred to? 

If we need to refer you for a physical or mental health condition, in most cases you have the right to choose the hospital or service you’d like to go to. You can get further information on your right to choose on the nhs website. 

How should everyone be treated? 

The practice should treat everyone fairly, kindly and respectfully.  Likewise, you should also treat staff with respect.  We can remove patients from our list if they are violent or abusive to staff. 

To learn more about your rights, you can read the NHS Constitution. 

How can you help your general practice? 

1. Be prepared: Before an appointment, think about writing down your symptoms, what you are worried about and what you want to talk about. 
2. Be on time: Being late for an appointment or being unavailable for a timed call-back can affect other patients. 
3. Cancel if needed: If you can’t go to your appointment, tell the practice as soon as you can, so that we can offer it to someone else. 
4. Use the NHS App or website: You can book or cancel appointments, order repeat prescriptions, and see your test results online. 
5. Turn on notifications: If you use the NHS App, turn on notifications so the practice can contact you more easily.  Please keep an eye out for messages. 
6. Order repeat medicines on time: Make sure you ask for repeat prescriptions on time, so you don’t run out, and only order what you need. 
7. Join the Patient Participation Group: We have a group of patients who can offer feedback on the services it delivers, for more information please visit our PPG page.