Appointments

Cancelling or changing an appointment

To cancel your appointment:

• use your NHS account (through the NHS website or NHS App)
• use our online triage system
• phone us on 0161 226 7777, Monday to Friday from 8am to 6.30pm
• reply CANCEL to your appointment reminder text message

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

If you are housebound and need an appointment, we may be able to arrange a home visit, in line with our clinical criteria. To request a home visit, it’s helpful if you let the practice know as soon as possible after 08:00, and no later than 12:00

You and your general practice

This guide tells you what to expect from your general practice (GP) and how you can help them, so you get the best from the National Health Service (NHS). More details can be found through the links below.

When and how can you contact your general practice?

Your general practice is open from 8.00am to 6.30pm, Monday to Friday. 

Throughout these hours you, or your carer on your behalf, can:

• Visit the practice
• Call them
• Go online using the practice’s website or the NHS App.

You can choose the way you contact your practice based on what is best for you. Some practices may have longer hours or may ask that you contact them via phone or in person for urgent queries.

What if the practice is closed?

If you need urgent help for your physical or mental health when the general practice is closed, and you cannot wait until they open, go online to 111.nhs.uk or call 111. They will tell you what to do next.

What if it’s an emergency?

If it’s a serious or life-threatening emergency, go straight to A&E (Accident and Emergency) or call 999.

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

Whether you make your request by phone, on-line or visiting your practice, you may be asked to give your practice some details so that they 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.

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

Your practice cannot tell you to just call back the next day.

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.

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, tell your practice and they will try to help.

How do you choose a general practice?

You can:

• Call or visit a local practice
• Use Find a GP online.

If you want to change to a new general practice you can do so at any point. Most people have a few choices nearby.

Do you need ID or proof of address?

No, you do not need ID, an NHS number or proof of address. It can help the practice if you do, but it is not needed to register or see a GP.   You can also register with a practice if you are homeless.

Can a practice say no to registering you?

They must write to you within 14 days if they say no and explain why. A practice can only say no for a good reason, like if you live too far away or their patient list is closed. For example, they cannot say no for reasons such as immigration status, not having a permanent address, or for reasons connected with other characteristics protected under equalities legislation.

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

If your GP needs 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.uk website.

If you are new to the UK

You can still register with a GP. It’s free to use and your immigration status does not affect your right to register with a GP.

If you are away from home but still in the UK

If you are away from home for more than 24 hours (but less than 3 months), you can register as a temporary patient near where you’re staying.

You can also change your nominated pharmacy so you can get your medicine nearby. You can do this by contacting your practice or via the NHS App.

Do general practices charge for anything?

NHS GP services are free.  Sometimes, if you ask the GP to do private work (like writing a letter for insurance), they may charge a fee.

How should everyone be treated?

The practice should treat everyone fairly, kindly and respectfully.  Likewise, you should also treat staff with respect.  The practice can remove patients from their 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 they can offer it to someone else.
4. Use the NHS App or website: If you’re confident using smart phones or computers, 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: You practice will have a group of patients who can offer feedback on the services it delivers. Your practice website should explain how you can join. 

How can you give feedback or raise concerns?

If you want to give feedback, raise a concern or wish to make a formal complaint, ask to speak to the practice manager. If you don’t feel comfortable doing this, contact your integrated care board (ICB) – the local NHS body that oversees GPs practices. You can find your local integrated care on the NHS England website.  

You can also give feedback about your practice to your local Healthwatch. Their job is to make sure NHS leaders and other decision-makers hear your voice and use your feedback to improve care. Healthwatch is independent and impartial, and any information you share with them is confidential. To find your local Healthwatch visit the Healthwatch website.

Publication reference: PRN01907

Translated versions

BMA Practice Charter

GPs and their practice teams provide the vast majority of NHS care outside of hospitals, supporting you and your family throughout your lives. In a perfect world, we want to be able to offer every patient:

The government talks of “bringing back the family doctor” but what politicians promise is often not planned properly or funded fairly to be able to be delivered in reality.

We aim to respond to all appointment and advice requests promptly, prioritising those most in need. Sometimes we may need to offer you an appointment on another day or direct you to another suitable service.

For safety reasons, urgent medical requests cannot be accepted via our online system. For something urgent, pick up the phone or walk in to our reception.

The need to prioritise urgent cases to keep patients safe can result in longer waiting times for routine/non-urgent appointments.

The new requirement to allow patients unlimited online access for non- urgent medical requests, throughout core hours, makes it more likely that we will have no choice but to create hospital-style waiting lists to meet patient need.

We want to guide you through the NHS, co-ordinate your care, and support you to stay healthy. We want every patient to feel safe and confident in their GP practice – now and in the future.

GPs are on your side.

The Challenges Your Practice Faces

For safety reasons, urgent medical requests cannot always be accepted via our online system.

The need to prioritise urgent cases to keep patients safe can result in longer waiting times for routine/non-urgent appointments.

The new requirement to allow patients unlimited online access for non-urgent requests, throughout core hours, makes it more likely that we will have no choice but to have long waits to meet patient demand.

We may unfortunately sometimes face challenges beyond our control:

• difficulties with accessing services at the local hospitals and long waiting lists
• workforce challenges – not enough GPs to look after you
• the need to provide our teams with compulsory NHS training and education – unforeseen events
• NHS IT challenges with old and slow equipment
• lack of investment in practice buildings and development
• public health emergencies

• Our core contract hours are Monday to Friday, 8am to 6.30pm.
• Our consulting times are between these hours.
• Please note at certain times, e.g. lunch or the ends of the day, a Clinician may not be present in the building (e.g. out on home visits).
• In any emergency, please dial 999 for an ambulance or attend the nearest – Accident & Emergency department

We believe patients deserve more

• At present, GPs and their teams are under huge pressure – caring for more people with fewer resources.
• Without proper investment, the safety, stability and continuity of care that patients value most are at risk.
• As your GP practice, we will always do what we can to deliver the best service possible for you and your family. With the right resources and support, we could expand our services, employ more staff, and deliver the safe, timely, and personalised care you deserve.
• Please remember that our current GP contract funds patient care on average at 31p per day per patient, which is not enough to meet rising demand and to provide the care you and your family deserve.

So please bear with us – and thank you for your support as we try our best for you and your family.