New Appointment System
From 6th October 2025, our practice will be introducing a new way of managing patient appointments called Total Triage.
This change follows new national NHS guidelines requiring all GP practices to offer online consultations during all opening hours. More importantly, this new system will help us improve access, prioritise urgent care quickly, and reduce call waiting times.
To find out more about Our Total Triage System and what changes have been made, please take a look at our FAQs Leaflet (add leaflet here)
Booking Appointments
To request a doctor’s appointment (Monday to Friday, 8am – 6.30pm) you should complete the relevant SystmConnect health form.
These will then be triaged by one of our doctor’s. They will use the information you give us to choose an appointment, or service, for you in a time frame that is appropriate, and with the most suitable Health Care Professional for your clinical need.
We may offer you a face to face or a telephone appointment, or you may be referred to the pharmacy for a consultation with a qualified health professional.
A referral to the pharmacy or an appointment by phone, can be more flexible and often means you get help sooner. For more information about pharmacy referrals please click here. (add link https://www.england.nhs.uk/primary-care/pharmacy/pharmacy-services/pharmacy-first/)
We aim to respond to all clinical requests within 1 working day. Please ensure we hold the most up to date contact information for you, you will be contacted by one of the Reception team with the outcome.
Unable to Complete the Online Form
if you are experiencing difficulties completing an online form, or would like to talk to a receptionist for any other reason
- phone us on 01202 723372, Monday to Friday from 8am to 6.30pm
- visit the surgery and speak with a receptionist, Monday to Friday from 8am to 6pm
Our Reception team are unable to book you an appointment over the phone but we can help complete the form with you.
Please be prepared to answer some questions about your condition, and to give our receptionist brief notes of your symptoms. This will help our clinical team to accurately triage your request and direct you to the most appropriate health care professional.
If you need to cancel an appointment, please do so as soon as possible.
Children under 16 should be accompanied by an adult and separate appointments are needed for EACH family member.
Urgent Treatment
If you are experiencing any of the below symptoms you may require urgent/ immediate treatment, and should call 999:
- Signs of a heart attack: chest pain, pressure, heaviness, tightness or squeezing across the chest
- Signs of a stroke: face dropping on one side, cannot hold both arms up, difficulty speaking
- Sudden confusion (delirium): cannot be sure of own name or age
- Suicide attempt: by taking something or self-harming
- Severe difficulty breathing: not being able to get words out, choking or gasping
- Choking: on liquids or solids right now
- Heavy bleeding: spraying, pouring or enough to make a puddle
- Severe injuries: after a serious accident or assault
- Seizure (fit): shaking or jerking because of a fit, or unconscious (cannot be woken up)
- Sudden, rapid swelling: of the lips, mouth, throat or tongue
- Labour or childbirth: waters breaking, more frequent intense cramps (contractions), baby coming, or just born
British Sign Language (BSL) speakers can make an emergency call using the 999 BSL video call service .
Deaf people can use 18000 to contact 999 using text relay.
Symptom Checker
Get online help with your symptoms – NHS 111 Online
If you think you* need medical help right now, 111 online can help review your symptoms and tell you what to do next.
*service available for years aged 5 and over only.
Minor Health Issues and Conditions
These are typically temporary and non-serious health concerns that can often be managed with self-care, over-the-counter treatments or lifestyle changes.
Pharmacists can provide advice and treatment for many minor health issues or conditions such as coughs, colds, sore throats, ear infections, insect bites, mild indigestion, mild skin conditions and aches and pains.
They can also give advice about medicines. This includes how to use your medicine, worries about side effects or any other questions you have. For more information click here. (add link How pharmacies can help – NHS)
Pregnancy and Childhood Illness
For pregnancy care advice, or for advice on symptoms & treatment for common childhood illnesses including rashes, coughs and colds you can visit the Wessex Healthier Together website: www.what0-18.nhs.uk.
Maternity Self-Referral – If you are pregnant, you can find out about the next steps and self-refer to Dorset maternity services, you do not need to see a GP first. Visit Maternity Matters Dorset – Bumps and Beyond for more information.
Patient Check-in
To save you from having to queue at the reception counter we have an automatic self check-in service. The computer screen is on the wall to the right as you enter the reception area. This service is only available to those patients who have a pre-booked appointment with either the Doctor, practice Nurse or MSK (Musculoskeletal) physician. It cannot be used for patients waiting to see a health visitor or counsellor.
It is easy to use; just follow the on-screen instructions: tap the screen to select whether you are male or female, select your birthday number and month. Note, if two patients share the same birthday it will ask you for the year you were born also. It will then confirm your appointment time and the clinician. Select OK and take a seat in the waiting room and wait to be called. It there are any problems you will be instructed to report to the receptionist.
Cancelling or Changing an Appointment
To cancel your appointment:
- use your NHS account (through the NHS website or NHS App)
- using the GP online system – SystmOnline
- phone us on 01202 723372, Monday to Friday from 8am to 6.30pm
- reply CANCEL to your appointment reminder text message
If you cannot keep an appointment, please remember to cancel it, giving as much notice as possible.
We have a high rate of appointments where patients fail to attend and do not call ahead to cancel. As I am sure you are aware this is a waste of valuable NHS resources and increases our wait for GP appointments. If you are unable to make an appointment, please remember to cancel, giving other patients the opportunity to have your appointment. We do have a policy if you fail to attend 3 or more appointments, you will be issued with a warning letter. Any further occurrences may result in removing you from our patient list.
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
What we Ask of You
Please remember to treat our staff with the respect that they deserve. We will not tolerate foul and abusive language or aggressive behaviour against our staff, and we will involve the Police if necessary. Please also remember to respect your fellow patients in the waiting room by talking quietly, respecting their privacy, turning off mobile telephones, music players, etc. and keep your children under control.
Home Visits
If you require a home visit, you can request this using any of the options above. It is helpful if you phone the practice, or complete the home visit SystmConnect form, as soon after 8am as possible.
Home visits are for patients that 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.
You can 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.
Please only request a home visit if it is absolutely necessary.
The surgery has much better facilities, and a doctor can see three patients there in the time it takes for one visit.
Home visits are not available to assist with transport problems.
A doctor or nurse may phone you before booking a visit, as it may be that your problem can be dealt with by telephone advice, or that it would be more appropriate to send a nurse, or indeed arrange a hospital attendance.
If you need to be seen the same day, please telephone as soon as possible after 8.00am. If your problem requires urgent assistance, please make this clear to the receptionist.
Triage surgeries are held every weekday, mornings and afternoons. These are not for long-standing problems but for urgent medical conditions only (for any life threatening conditions – you should call 999). You will be booked into our same day emergency appointments system whereby our Duty GP will call you back to discuss your problem and decide the best course of action.
- phone us on 01202 723372, Monday to Friday from 8am to 6.30pm
- visit the surgery and speak with a receptionist, Monday to Friday from 8am to 6pm
When you get in touch, we’ll ask what you need help with.
We will use the information you give us to choose the most suitable doctor, nurse or health professional to help you.