Appointments

Non Urgent / Routine

Appointments can generally be booked up to 3 months in advance, consulting times are detailed on the home page. Most appointments with the Doctors are of 10 minute duration. Some consultations particularly with the Nurse may take slightly longer. If you are able to advise the receptionist what your appointment is for we can allocate suitable time aside with the Nurse. Please advise the receptionist if you wish to see a particular Doctor, and they will be able to advise on availability.

Urgent appointments

We hold back a number of appointments each day, for patients that feel that their symptoms are such that they feel that they need to see a Doctor that day. These appointments are intended for patients with an urgent medical need. Inappropriate use of these slots is likely to lead to genuinely ill patients having to wait longer to see a Doctor.

Cancelling Appointments

If you are unable to keep your appointment, please contact our reception desk as soon you know, so that your appointment may be offered to another patient. Please telephone reception on 01672 870388 or use the cancel appointment wizard on the home page.

Urgent appointments and Visits

If you feel that you need to see a Doctor immediately and your symptoms are giving you real cause for concern, please telephone our reception on 01672 870388 or 870330, and we will endeavour to put you through to one of the Doctors.

Alternatively if you feel that it is life threatening dial 999 immediately.

Home Visits

If possible please try to telephone reception before 10am if you require a home visit.

A doctor or nurse may phone you back as it may be that your problem can be dealt with by telephone advice.

House visits are only available for patients who are housebound because of illness or disability.

Please remember that several patients can be seen in the practice in the time that it takes to make one home visit. There are also better facilities for examining and treating patients at the Surgery.

Vernham Dean

Dr Ballard provides an afternoon surgery every Thursday between 4.00pm and 5.30pm at Vernham Dean Millenium Hall. There is no need to make an appointment as this is a drop-in surgery.

It would be appreciated if patients are calling to see the Doctor, that they try to attend as early as possible. You will appreciate that if there are a  number of patients arriving after 5.15, then this will have a knock on effect, and may result in the Doctor having a very late finish.

For patients ordering medication by phone or online, this will be available for collection between the times stated above. If you pay for your prescriptions, please ensure that you bring with you either cash or a cheque.