Appointments

First of all have you considered using eConsult?  Read more about eConsult below:

Telephone: 01244 680169

The surgery is open 8.00am - 6.30pm Monday to Friday and patients are seen by appointment only. The telephone is often busy early in the morning, so if your call is routine, please ring later in the day.

The current appointment system allows patients to access a doctor or nurse on the day they wish to be seen or by booking in advance. This has removed the waiting time altogether and means that far less appointments are lost to people not attending each week.

Phone on the day you need to be seen.

With nearly 7500 patients and the equivalent of 4 full time doctors, demand for appointments is enormous.

When you phone the surgery please explain what it is you need, be this a:

• Doctor telephone appointment (currently all GP appointments will begin as a telephone appointment - should a face to face appointment be needed this will be arranged by the GP) 
• Nurse appointment
• Nurse telephone advice

50% of our doctors appointments are available to book ‘on the day’ so that you do not have to plan your visit to the surgery weeks in advance. However at time of high demand/low doctor availability, these on the day appointments may be strictly for urgent appointments only, and you may be asked to prebook or phone another day. (Please be aware Monday Mornings are usually our highest demand day.)

50% of our doctors appointments are available to be booked up to two weeks in advance. All of the nurses appointments are available to be booked up to two months in advance.

Please note if you feel your problem is CLINICALLY URGENT tell the receptionist and you will be fitted in that day, if reception have run out of face to face appointments, please accept a call from our Duty Doctor who will triage you as best as they can, this can include squeezing you in for a face to face appointment.

eConsult

An easier way to receive advise and treatment can be accessed by using eConsult: https://handbridgemedcentre.webgp.com/ (you need to be a registered patient with us to use this service, but no log in is required)  your symptoms can be sent through to a GP review / or you may be give self help advice, depending on what symptoms/issues you report. Doctors can arrange for you to have blood tests, prescriptions and referrals via eConsult.

Booking online

Appointments are currently not available to be booked online (due to the pandemic) but we hope to be able to re-offer this service in the future.

Appointments will then be bookable up to two weeks in advance. This will be done via Patient access on the following link https://patient.emisaccess.co.uk/account/login.

Please note you do need to obtain registration details from the reception desk before being able to use the online services. Please also ensure you have checked the booking conditions prior to booking. 

Monday Mornings

Please bare in mind that the busiest time of the week is on Monday morning. If your problem is not urgent it would be helpful if you would choose another time or day to telephone. The telephones and reception desk may be busy when you call, please be patient, we will help you as soon as possible. If you are unable to keep your appointment please remember to let us know so that someone else can be seen.

Doctors Appointment Times 

*Please note all times are subject to change, as our GP's can swap/change days due to the needs of the practice.

Duty Doctor surgeries (when the doctor deals with emergency calls only) are also allocated evenly to the doctors throughout the week.

The best to way to get an accurate portrayal of the week is to speak to the reception team.

Doctor or Nurse?

You can help us by trying to use the right sort of appointment.

Telephone Appointments with A Doctor

Currently all appointments with the GPs begin with an initial telephone consultation, if you or the doctor feel you will need to be examined, they can subsequently arrange a face to face assessment.  However doctors can arrange for you to have blood tests, prescriptions and referrals via telephone consultations. You may also be offered a follow-up telephone consultation. It has been found that many people find this new service convenient to use. Please ensure you give the receptionist a number you will be contactable on and make every effort to answer your call when it is incoming.

eConsult

An easier way to receive advise and treatment can be accessed by using eConsult: https://handbridgemedcentre.webgp.com/ (you need to be a registered patient with us to use this service, but no log in is required)  your symptoms can be sent through to a GP review / or you may be give self help advice, depending on what symptoms/issues you report. Doctors can arrange for you to have blood tests, prescriptions and referrals via Econsult.

Nurse Appointments

Many of you know that the nurses at Handbridge are a vital part of the team and provide a wide range of services

• Minor injuries and skin dressings
• Childhood vaccinations & health advice for parents of young children
• Minor illness advice
• Cervical Smears
• Blood test and blood pressure reviews

In addition they provide routine care for a range of long-term health problems including

• Asthma
• Diabetes
• Routine review of elderly
• High blood pressure
• Annual checks for angina and after a heart attack

Other Appointments

Appointments for the Mental Health Team are all booked in advance.

Nurse Telephone Appointments

If you have a question about your medication or treatment, ask to speak to the nurse. If you are unsure whether you need a doctor appointment, the nurse will be able to advise you.

Home Visits

If you are too ill to attend surgery or are a housebound patient, please telephone before 10.00am to request a visit at home which will usually take place on that day.

Requests received after midday will normally be visited the following day unless medically urgent. Please give an outline of the problem to help the doctor assess its priority.

Extended Hours Clinic

If you would like a routine appointment outside of normal surgery hours you can access the Extended Hours service. This service can offer GP appointments  in our area, after our surgery is closed, for people who have trouble getting to us in our opening hours.

These appointments can be booked up to two weeks in advance. You can call book via the reception team at Handbridge Medical Centre or call the Extended Hours service direct to arrange this yourself if that is more convenient on 0300 123 7743.

The extended hour clinic also offers, nurse appointments, phlebotomy (blood test) appointments and physio appointments, please specify to the receptionist the type of appointment you require.

Opening times & venues for appointments within GP Extended Hours service are:

• Countess of Chester Health park in the 1829 building:

Monday to Friday                          6:30pm – 9:30pm

Saturday & Sunday                       9:00am – 2:00pm

Bank Holidays                              10.00am – 3.00pm 

• Ellesmere Port Cottage Hospital:

Monday to Friday                          6:30pm – 9:30pm

Saturday & Sunday                       9:00am – 2:00pm

Bank Holidays                              10:00am – 3:00pm 

• Helsby Health Centre:

Monday and Tuesday                     6:30pm – 8:00pm

• Tarporley War Memorial Hospital:

Wednesday, Thursday and Friday    6:30pm – 8:00pm

Saturday & Sunday                        11:00pm – 6:00pm

Bank Holidays                                9:00am – 2:00pm 

• Neston Surgery (Mellock Lane)

 Monday & Thursday                       6:30pm – 9:00pm 

• Laurel Bank Surgery Malpas:

Monday and Thursday                     6:30pm – 8:00pm

Saturday                                        9:00am – 12 noon

**PLEASE NOTE THAT DUE TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC NO BOOK ONLINE APPOINTMENTS ARE AVAILABLE AT THIS TIME. PLEASE CALL RECEPTION ON 01244 680169 WHO CAN ASSIST WITH ANY APPOINTMENT QUERIES.

To book an online appointment you must be registered with Handbridge Medical Centre and registered to use Patient Access, please present to the surgery with proof of ID to gain Patient Access registration details.

We currently only offer GP appointments online. But soon hope to offer:

• Blood Tests
• Cervical Smears
• Asthma Reviews
• COPD Reviews
• Long Term Condition Reviews

BOOKING CONDITIONS

Please ensure you have read and adhered to our booking conditions before booking; we appreciate the list is extensive, but our aim is to reduce the waste of your time and GP/Nurse time. 

If ever you are unsure if online booking is appropriate please contact our reception team who can advise. 

The practice reserves the right to cancel appointments that do not adhere to conditions, we try to do so with notice, but in the event an incorrect booking is not noticed until the appointment time or we have been unable to reach you, you may be declined on arrival. 

General Appointments

These appointments are with a GP.

• The appointment MUST BE for booked under the log in of the person attending.

• The appointment MUST BE booked with an understandable booking reason. (don't just put anything to bypass the booking reason)

• The appointment MUST BE suitable for routine booking ahead appointments, for an urgent appointment you must call the surgery. In life threatening emergencies always call 999.

• The appointment MUST BE a single appointment (10 minutes) and only regarding one problem. If you have more than one problem, please call our reception team and enquire about a double appointment. 

• The appointment MUST BE an appropriate use of GP time; and cannot be dealt with by self care, pharmacist, practice nurse, medicines manager or physio. Check out our making the correct choice page to see if there are alternative options for you. 

• These appointments MUST NOT BE: for private medicals, driving medicals, to request letters of support, complaints, for minor surgeries, for a prescription you have on repeat, for anything the practice nurses would deal with (e.g dressings or removal of stiches, cervical smears) (please contact reception in these instances)

Example Acceptable Booking Reasons for GP:

• mental health review
• skin complaint
• ongoing fatigue
• follow up xray/blood results

Example Unacceptable Booking Reasons for GP: 

• severe chest pain (this is a medical emergency, attend a&e/dial 999) 
• wound on my leg (if happened in last 48hr attend a&e, or practice nurse for review of older wounds.
• I need a repeat prescription (if the item is on repeat, suiting you and you've not been called for a GP review, you do not need to see a GP, simply put in repeat prescription request)
• anxiety and joint pains (as these are 2 separate problems a double appointment would be needed - please contact reception) 

Blood Test Appointments

• You MUST BE over 16 years of age. For paediatric bloods, speak to reception.

• The blood test MUST have been requested by a GP or our medicines manager or be a regular blood test you have for you medication.

• You MUST specify when booking what blood test you are having, e.g if you have it for a regular medication monitoring please specify which medication, or if it was requested by a GP and your not sure exactly what bloods have been requested please note 'as per Dr. "name"  on "date".

•  You MUST NOT book a blood test without a prior request, if you think you need a blood test it must be requested on your file from a GP or our medicines manager.

Example Acceptable Booking Reasons for a Blood Test:

• I have had a note on my prescription to say I am due bloods
• I have monthly bloods to monitor my thyroxine medication
• I saw Dr "name" on "date" who advised me to book

Example Unacceptable Booking Reasons for a Blood Test: 

• I feel tired all the time I want my vitamin/iron levels checking/ I want my cholesterol checking (you cannot submit your own request for a blood test - it must be requested by a GP please speak to reception to discuss arranging a telephone consultation with a GP first)

Cervical Smear Appointments

• You MUST BE eligible and due for a smear.

Patients are called in by letter by the Cervical Screening Programme when they are due for a smear. This is around every 3 years if your aged 25 to 49. Every 5 years aged 50 to 64. You will sent a letter by the cervical screening programme when you are due. Please do not book before you are due as the programme will reject samples taken too early.

Asthma Appointments

• You MUST BE a previously diagnosed asthma patient who is due for annual review.

Patients are called in by letter by the practice when they are due their annual asthma review; this is usually around their birthday month. Patients may also receive notification their asthma review is due via text reminder, verbally from practice staff or by a note on their prescription.

• You MUST NOT book an asthma appointment because you suspect you have asthma. Please contact reception/book a GP appointment so appropriate testing can be arranged.

COPD Appointments

• You MUST BE a previously diagnosed COPD patient who is due for annual review.

Patients are called in by letter by the practice when they are due their annual COPD review; this is usually around their birthday month. Patients may also receive notification their copd review is due via text reminder, verbally from practice staff or by a note on their prescription.

• You MUST NOT book an COPD appointment because you suspect you have asthma. Please contact reception/book a GP appointment so appropriate testing can be arranged.

Long Term Condition Appointments

• You MUST BE a previously diagnosed long term condition patient (includes; diabetes and heart diseases) who is due for annual review.

Patients are called in by letter by the practice when they are due their annual long term condition review; this is usually around their birthday month. Patients may also receive notification their review is due via text reminder, verbally from practice staff or by a note on their prescription.

•  Please note these appointments are only available in the morning, as a blood and urine sample is required and all samples must be collected to send to the hospital for 12pm. These appointments are for your initial review only, if you have already had your initial appointment then contact Reception to book any follow ups that are requested.

Click here to go to Patient Access.

Our 2020 flu clinics have now finished.

If you are eligible and have still not received your flu vaccination, please contact the surgery on 01244 680169, and providing we still have available stock we will be able to book your appointment with a nurse during usual surgery hours.

Who's Eligible for a flu vaccination (2020)?

You should have the flu vaccine if you: 

• are 50 years old or over
• are pregnant
• have certain medical conditions
• are living in a long-stay residential care home or another long-stay care facility
• receive a carer's allowance, or you're the main carer for an elderly or disabled person whose welfare may be at risk if you fall ill
• live with someone who's at high risk of coronavirus (on the NHS shielded patient list) or you expect to be with them on most days over winter

Frontline health and social care workers are also eligible to receive the flu vaccine. It's your employer's responsibility to arrange and pay for this vaccine.

You may also be able to have the flu vaccine at the GP surgery or a local pharmacy offering the service if you're a frontline health or social care worker employed by a:

• registered residential care or nursing home
• registered homecare organisation
• hospice

Remember if you are not eligible for a free NHS flu vaccination, you can enquire about getting a vaccination from your local pharmacies for a small fee.

COVID-19 Vaccinations

Patients will be contacted by the NHS when it is the right time for them to come forward for their vaccination.

When you have receive an invite, please book through the website detailed in your invite or phone 119 if you cannot use the online booking system.

Do NOT call 119 if you have not been invited. 

All patients should continue to wear a face covering and follow social distancing and hand hygiene guidance as, until the vaccine has been fully rolled out, this is the most effective way to reduce transmission of the virus and help save lives.

Our practice is part of the Cheshire CCG please see their website for further Coronavirus Vaccines FAQ'S:

https://www.cheshireccg.nhs.uk/