Urgent appointments
To request an urgent appointment for today or tomorrow (Monday to Friday) during opening times:
- phone us on Milman Road Health Centre 0118 986 2286 or Kennet Surgery 0118 986 2286 or Christchurch Road 0118 986 2286 at 8am
To ensure that you are booked the most appropriate appointment in the most appropriate time frame, the receptionist will ask you some questions regarding the reason for your appointment. They can also decide whether a longer appointment would be more appropriate for you.
A normal appointment with a GP is 10 minutes and this is to discuss 1 issue, this ensures that the doctor has sufficient time to obtain a history of the issue, make a diagnosis and recommend treatment or refer you to the appropriate secondary care team for further investigation.
Routine appointments
To request a routine appointment up to 2 weeks in advance during opening times:
- phone us on Milman Road Health Centre 0118 986 2286 or Kennet Surgery 0118 986 2286 or Christchurch Road 0118 986 2286
- use your NHS account (through the NHS website or NHS App) or Patient Access to book an appointment, screening test or vaccination
You may opt to be seen by any one of the clinicians in the team but the receptionist will be able to offer you alternative clinicians if deemed appropriate.
Get medical advice from a doctor or nurse
To ask a non-urgent medical question:
- fill out an ask a doctor a question form
- fill out an ask a nurse a question form
We will respond within 2 working days during opening times.
Telephone appointments
We offer telephone consultations everyday with our duty GP for less complex matters which can be dealt with in a shorter appointment. We try to provide appointments on the same day for patients that request this.
To request a telephone appointment:
- phone us on Milman Road Health Centre 0118 986 2286 or Kennet Surgery 0118 986 2286 or Christchurch Road 0118 986 2286
- use your NHS account (through the NHS website or NHS App) or Patient Access to book an appointment, screening test or vaccination
This appointment type is suitable for an extension to a fit note for your employer which would not necessarily need a face to face appointment.
Although appointments are allocated by time, this does not always mean that you will be seen at that time, since it is not possible to predict a previous patient’s medical needs. We will do our best to keep you updated of any delays whilst you are waiting to be seen.
Enhanced access
Early morning (from 7am), evening (after 6:30pm) and Saturday appointments are available by special booking at the Milman Road site only, please ask reception for details.
Your appointment
However you choose to contact us, we may offer you a consultation:
- by phone
- face to face at the surgery
- on a video call
- by text or email
Appointments by phone, video call or by text or email can be more flexible and often means you get help sooner.
Cancelling or changing an appointment
If you cannot keep an appointment, please inform the surgery immediately, otherwise you will waste an appointment that someone else could benefit from.
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 Milman Road Health Centre 0118 986 2286 or Kennet Surgery 0118 986 2286 or Christchurch Road 0118 986 2286 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
Whilst we encourage our patients to come to the surgery, where we have the proper equipment and facilities available, we do appreciate this is not always possible. In this respect, if you do need a home visit, you can help us by calling reception before 11am.
You may only request a home visit if you are housebound or are too ill to visit the practice. Your GP will only visit you at home if they think that your medical condition requires it and will also decide how urgently a visit is needed. Please bear this in mind and be prepared to provide suitable details to enable the doctor to schedule house calls. Lack of transport in itself is not a reason for a home visit.
You can also be visited at home by a community nurse if you are referred by your GP. You should also be visited at home by a health visitor if you have recently had a baby or if you are newly registered with a GP and have a child under five years.