Appointments

CORONAVIRUS

As we are learning to live with covid, we are now offering some face to face appointments for patients who need to be see routinely.  If you feel you need to be seen urgently on the day, we are asking patients to fill out the E-consult form available from this website, or if E-consult is not working/or it tells you to ring the GP surgery, you will be offered a telephone call with the GP who will assess you over the phone. If they feel it is appropriate for you to be seen they will arrange an appointment for you. Please be aware may be asked additional questions before the appointment is booked.

It is very important that individuals with symptoms that may be due to coronavirus and their household members stay at home. Staying at home will help control the spread of the virus to friends, the wider community, and particularly the most vulnerable.

We do not offer any walk-in appointments.

You can make an appointment with the Doctor or Nurse by phoning the surgery or by calling in person when the reception is open.

If you feel that you need an urgent appointment please use our E-consult in the first instance during its opening hours.  This allows the Clinician to gather a lot of information about the problem/symptoms that you have and they will then contact you or offer you an appointment.  If E-consult is not working, or it suggests you ring the surgery, please call the surgery as soon as possible for further assistance. We also offer routine face to face/telephone call appointments which can be booked up to 3 weeks in advance.

You have a right to express a preference of practitioner and we will do our best to give you an appointment with the Doctor of your choice. Should your preferred Doctor not have a free appointment you will be offered an appointment with one of the other GPs/Clinicians in the practice.

You will never be refused to see a Doctor if one is available. If you no longer need your appointment please let us know.

Please remember that appointments are for ONE person only. If you feel your consultation may be lengthy, ask the Receptionist for a DOUBLE APPOINTMENT when you book.

From 1st October 2022 we will be offering appointments in the Enhanced Access Clinics. The new arrangements aim to remove variability across the country by putting in place a more standardised and better understood offer for patients. They will bring the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme (ARRS) workforce more consistently into the offer and support Primary Care Networks (PCNs) to use the Enhanced Access (EA) capacity for delivering routine services. It provides an opportunity to develop a better blend of appointment modes including taking advantage of a more digitally enabled offer, facilitating convenient access for patients and flexible working for staff. Introducing a more multidisciplinary offer means patients can access a broader set of services including screening and vaccination you will be able to book an appointment to see a Clinician in the evening or at the weekend via our Medway Rainham PCN. 

From the 31st January 2024 the NHS has commissioned community pharmacies to provide the Pharmacy First service.  We are able to refer patients to the Pharmacy First service for the following 7 common conditions.

• Sinusitis for adults & children aged 12 years and over
• Sore throats for adults and children aged 5 years and over
• Acute otitis media (ear infections) for children aged 1 to 17 years
• Infected insect bite for adults and children aged 1 year and over
• Impetigo for adults and children aged 1 year and over
• Shingles for adults aged 18 years and over
• Uncomplicated urinary tract infections in women aged 16 to 64 years

Missed Appointments/DNA’s

In 2023, 476 appointments were wasted due to patients not attending their appointment without informing the practice they were unable to attend.

Every time a patient misses an appointment we will send them a text or write to them and this will be discussed with the GP Partner and Management Team to decide whether the patient will be sent a DNA letter.  If a patient misses 3 appointments within 12 months it will be brought to the GP’s attention and they can make the decision to remove the patient.

If you cannot attend your appointment it is very to important let us know giving us as much notice as possible. If you wish to cancel your appointment please contact the surgery on 01634 568200 or email us on orchardfamilypractice@nhs.net.  Appointment reminders are sent out to the patient and you can also cancel your appointment by replying to the text “cancel”.