Appointments
Thorpe Surgery is an advanced nurse practitioner and paramedic practitioner led surgery.
Our clinicians are professionally trained to assess and prescribe, for all general practice conditions. We do have other clinicians including physician associate, practice nurses, GPs, social prescribers, GP care advisor, mental health link worker, and many others.
Our trained reception care navigator staff will take details of your condition, and book you to the appropriate clinician.
Contact us with Accurx
You can contact a doctor, nurse or other healthcare professional online using a website called Accurx.
Urgent appointments
To request an urgent appointment for today or tomorrow (Monday to Friday) during opening times:
- phone us on Thorpe-le-Soken Surgery 01255 861850 or Kirby Cross Branch 01255 861850
- in person
When you get in touch, we’ll ask what you need help with.
We will use your answers to choose the most suitable doctor, nurse or healthcare professional to help you.
Routine appointments
To request a routine appointment in advance during opening times:
- use the Accurx service
- phone us on Thorpe-le-Soken Surgery 01255 861850 or Kirby Cross Branch 01255 861850
- use your NHS account (through the NHS website or NHS App) or Patient Access to book an appointment, screening test or vaccination
- in person
When you get in touch, we’ll ask what you need help with.
We will use your answers to choose the most suitable doctor, nurse or healthcare professional to help you.
Length of appointments
Doctors, advanced nurse practitioner, emergency care practitioner, advanced clinical practitioner is 15 minutes and nurses is 10 minutes. If you feel that your problem(s) will require longer than the set time allocated, please advise the Receptionist who will to facilitate adequate appointment time.
Some reviews and procedures for the nurses will take longer than 10 minutes and the reception staff know the right length of time to book. Therefore if you request a nurse appointment you will be asked the reason for the appointment, appointments booked online are for the correct duration for the type of appointment.
Please note that all blood tests have to be done in the morning in order for them to be transported to the laboratories for testing.
Enhanced access service
If you would like an evening or Saturday appointment, please request this when you contact your practice. Details of your appointment, including the location of your appointment (if booked during enhanced access hours) will be given by reception at the time of booking.
As part of this service, appointments will be available between:
- 6:30pm to 8pm, Monday to Friday
- 8am to 12.30pm, Saturdays
Staying well whilst waiting for an appointment or surgery
Providing advice and details of practical support to help you and those you care for stay well while waiting for surgery and elective care.
Website
www.sneewellbeing.org.uk
Cancelling or changing an appointment
Please let us know as soon as possible if you are unable to make your appointment. Appointments that have been notified by text may often be cancelled by replying ‘cancel’ to the reminder text.
To cancel your appointment:
- use your NHS account (through the NHS website or NHS App)
- use the GP online system: Patient Access
- phone us on 01255 861850 during opening times
If you need help when we are closed
If you need medical help now, use NHS 111 online or call 111.
NHS 111 online is for people aged 5 and over. Call 111 if you need help for a child under 5.
Call 999 in a medical or mental health emergency. This is when someone is seriously ill or injured and their life is at risk.
If you need help with your appointment
Please tell us:
- if there’s a specific doctor, nurse or other health professional you would prefer to respond
- if you would prefer to consult with the doctor or nurse by phone, face-to-face, by video call or by text or email
- if you need an interpreter
- if you have any other access or communication needs
Home visits
In order to arrange our workload for the day we would like home visits to be requested as early in the morning as possible before 11am. Our highly qualified clinicians carry out all routine home visits. Please give as much information as you can regarding your request as this information is used by the clinicians to prioritize the visits.
In order for us to visit you at home, patients must meet the housebound criteria. Please see below the definition of housebound.
Definition of “housebound”
A housebound patient is one who:
- has a physical or psychological condition with documented evidence which states that it would be detrimental to the patient’s condition or recovery to travel
- who requires assistance from more than one person to get in and out of a vehicle
- who needs medical/clinical support during the journey
- who is wheelchair bound and has no carer/family member available to assist them (this includes Residential Care Homes)
A patient will not be eligible for a home visit if they are able to leave their home environment on their own or with minimal assistance to visit public or social recreational public services (including shopping) and also hospital appointments.
The visiting clinician may phone you for further information and to decide whether a visit is the most appropriate course of action. Visits are generally intended for the housebound, terminally ill or those who cannot manage to get to the surgery because of their condition. A lack of transport is not a valid reason for requesting a home visit.
In the event of an emergency please let the receptionist know that an urgent visit is required so that a clinician can be contacted immediately.