Appointments

Booking an Appointment

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There are many ways to book an appointment. In person, via the website, using the automated attendant on the phone, or on-line via your computer or mobile phone. Reception staff are available between **8.00am** and **6.30pm** on weekdays. Routine and emergency appointments are available within 24 hours at any time between **7.00am** and **6.20pm** Monday to Friday.

Our doctors use a rota system for being Duty/On-Call GP for the morning or afternoon. Urgent requests for appointments will be triaged and you will be told if you are eligible to be seen by the Duty/On-Call GP or an ANP; you should be prepared to wait. When they are the Duty/On-Call GP, they are not available for pre-booked appointments.

The 24-hour access automated service (via the phone system) allows you to book, cancel or change appointments. The on-line facility for booking appointments (and ordering prescriptions) is also available after you have registered to use this service. See Reception for further information.

Registering for On-Line Access

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There are two ways to register for on-line access:

1. Registering via Patient Services will give you access to appointment bookings only.

2. Registering for full on-line access (appointments, prescriptions, medical history, pathology results) requires you to complete the Vision Online booking form. You will need to bring this into Reception with a valid form of identification such as a Passport, your details will then be passed to our Administration team.

SMS (text) Appointment Reminders

Appointment reminders will be routinely sent to patients where a mobile phone number is recorded. For children under 14 years of age, this will be sent to a parent or guardian. Ensure Reception are updated if you change your number to ensure you receive these reminders!

DNA - Failure to Keep Appointments

**GP and Nurse appointments are precious**. We therefore have had to operate a firm DNA policy for patients who regularly fail to attend their appointments without letting us know. For every 1 appointment wasted we have at least 4 patients waiting; this leads to frustration for both staff and patients, it wastes valuable resources and is a potential risk to the health of the patient who struggles to get an appointment.

If a patient fails to attend a pre-booked appointment on more than three occasions in a 12 week window, an informal warning letter will be sent to them, advising that a further occurrence could cause a risk of removal from the Practice. If the patient fails to attend another appointment, the patient will be sent a final warning letter advising them that should they fail to attend any further appointments without attempting to contact the surgery they will be removed from the doctors list held at this practice. Finally, if the patient fails to attend another appointment, the matter will be discussed at a Practice Meeting and a majority agreement will be reached as to whether the patient will be removed from the Practice list.

Extended Hours Appointments

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We are delighted to be part of this new innovative service offered by Coventry & Rugby GP Alliance. GP and Nurse appointments are available across EIGHT sites in Coventry & Rugby and ONE in Nuneaton, between the hours of **6.30pm** and **9.30pm** Monday to Friday; and Saturday and Sunday mornings. Reception can book these appointments for you routinely on request.

Arrangements & Contact details for Out of Hours

If you require urgent medical assistance which cannot wait until the surgery re-opens, please telephone 111.

Calls to the NHS 111 service are free from both landlines and mobiles. If you have a life threatening medical emergency please dial 999.

Walk-In Centre

Coventry NHS Walk-In Centre (City of Coventry Health Centre, Stoney Stanton Road, Coventry) provides treatment for minor injuries and illnesses seven days a week.

You do not need an appointment and you will be seen by an experienced nurse.

If at all possible always try to book an appointment with the practice first. Many patients are often referred back to the practice which is often an inconvenience to you. We offer appointments every day for all patients that need them.

Confidentiality

All members of staff/personnel (employed, attached, contracted) have a duty to respect the confidentiality of information at all times. The Computer Misuse Act 1990 makes it a criminal offence for anyone to access data that they are not authorised to access eg. a patients record or access a system which is not for practice purposes. The obligation to maintain confidentiality is an implied terms of service for all staff/[ersonnel and all are asked to sign a clause enforcing this. A breach of confidentiality is a serious disciplinary offence that could result in dismissal or being reported to other authorities.