A full description of our appointment system is available here Appointments Guide
Routine appointments can be made either by calling at the reception desk, telephoning during opening hours or using our online booking service. You may consult any doctor but if you prefer to see a specific doctor you may find you have to wait longer for an appointment. Typical waiting times for our salaried GPs and Registrars is 7 days. We offer face to face and telephone appointments with GPs and these are made available for online booking up to 60 days ahead.
If you need to see a doctor urgently it is always better to ring and speak to a receptionist. If we have no urgent appointments available, you will be placed on our Triage List and our Duty Dr y will call you back. After assessing your symptoms over the telephone, arrangements will be made to see you at an appropriate time, either the same day or the following day. Some urgent problems can be dealt with over the phone so if you are not sure whether you need to see a GP, please ask for a triage call from the Duty Dr.
An availability grid is shown on our Practice Services menu which gives an indication of which doctors, nurses and HCAs consult on which days.
Whilst every effort is made to keep to appointment times, this is not always possible and we will try to keep you informed of any delays on arrival at the surgery. Appointments with GPs are all 15 minutes in duration but we ask that, should you need longer or if you have more than one medical problem to discuss, please ask for a double appointment.
Always report to the receptionist on your arrival at the surgery so that the doctor or nurse can be notified that you are here.
Appointments may be booked on-line using our Online Access service – further information is available from the surgery about how to register for this service. This service can be accessed via the button on the right of this page.
If, for any reason, you are unable to keep your appointment, please telephone to cancel in good time so the appointment can be offered to another patient. Appointments can also be cancelled online or via the text message reminder service. Patients with mobile numbers will receive a text message the day before a face to face appointment with the option to cancel via text.
- Home Visits
If you are not well enough to come to the surgery or to discuss your problem over the telephone a home visit can be arranged. Please telephone before 10am if possible. The receptionist will ask for brief details of your illness and the degree of urgency. The Duty Doctor will call you back to assess the situation and arrange an appropriate visit which might be from one of our paramedic team.
- Telephone consultations
Telephone appointments can be a more convenient way to deal with issues which do not require a physical examination. We will arrange a specific appointment time for your call but ask that you allow some flexibility as it is difficult to predict how long some of these appointments will take. You should however be contacted within half an hour of the booked appointment time. Please ensure that you have given us the correct telephone number and that you are available to take the call at the time arranged.
- Evenings/weekends/bank holidays
The Hadrian Extra Care Hub provides evening and Saturday appointments which can now be booked online. If you would like an appointment please follow this link: NHS Bookings If there are no appointments at Corbridge (weekday evenings) just click ‘back’ on the link at the top of the page to select one of our other locations which are open on Saturdays: Hexham, Prudhoe, Bellingham or Haltwhistle. Appointments are available with GPs, Nurses and Healthcare Assistants – please select the slot type you require and use your NHS login to proceed with the booking. Alternatively, you can book appointments by ringing our own reception team on 01434 632011.
- Emergencies
If you have a life threatening condition eg suspected heart attack or stroke please dial 999 for an ambulance without delay.
If you need urgent treatment when the surgery is closed, help can be obtained by telephoning the NHS 111 service who will assess your symptoms and signpost you to the most appropriate service.
If you need to see a GP when the surgery is closed the NHS 111 advisor will refer your call to the The Northern Doctors Urgent Care service. They provide a confidential service staffed by nurses and health professionals who will advise you on the best course of action for the symptoms you present.
