Important – Regarding Appointments at the Surgery

From 1st December, Oakley Surgery will be making changes to its appointment system and how you will request an appointment.

All requests for GP appointments will be assessed by the surgery via our online form, and triaged by an appropriate individual, with an appointment offered based upon clinical need.

To complete the form, please go to oakleysurgery.nhs.uk, and select the ‘Contact Us Online’ section. If you are unable to fill out the form yourself, our reception team will be able to support you in completing the form. Please be advised that you will not be able to book an appointment with the surgery without successful completion of the form.

FAQs

How long after submitting the form can I typically expect a reply?

We aim to read and review all requests within a 48-hour (two working days) period. This may sometimes however not be possible, but we will communicate with you accordingly if we expect your query to take longer than expected.

Would the reply from the surgery always be an appointment?

The surgery’s reply may not necessarily guarantee an appointment. Our system is dedicated towards ensuring you get the most appropriate care based upon clinical need, which may not require for you to have a formal appointment with a clinician at the surgery. The surgery will however guarantee that you receive a reply, following review from our Clinical Care-Coordinator.

What happens if I disagree with the results of the triage assessment?

You may of course disagree with the outcome of the assessment that has been made. Whilst we would not be able to keep your existing request open, you are welcome to open a new request via our website, in order to provide the surgery with new information that may not have been considered at that time.

What support is there in place for patients who suffer from Learning Disabilities?

We acknowledge that some people from multiple backgrounds may not be able to complete the form independently and may require support; In this instance, we would reassure you that our team are here to help and can support you with completion of the form, either via telephone or by stopping by the surgery.

We would however encourage you to use the online form independently where you can, as this will generally result in quicker completion of the form, whilst reducing the waiting times for people who do require additional support.

What if I make a mistake whilst completing the online form?

If you incorrectly enter information onto the online form, you will not be able to amend the form once it has been sent. You will however be able to add a new form and make reference to the previous form sent. All information will be stored onto your medical record accordingly.

Is there a priority response time?

Whilst we aim to respond to all requests within two working days, if our Care-Coordinator team identify a medical issue that needs more immediate attention, the surgery will communicate with you accordingly.

What if I cannot make the appointment date/time offered to me?

We would always encourage for you to let us know on the online form on your preferred time of contact, but if you cannot make the date/time suggested, please do let the surgery know and we will accommodate where we reasonably can. There will be occasions where this is not possible however, particularly in instances where our clinical team may need to see you on the day.

Can I still book in with your Enhanced Access service using the form?

Appointments via our Enhanced Access service, Monday-Friday 18:30-20:00 and Saturday 09:00-17:00 will still be available via our system. If you prefer to have an appointment via our Enhanced Access service, please do let us know on the form and we will accommodate this where we can.

How do I get ready for this change? Do I need any details to log in?

You do not need any login details to complete the form. Simply go to oakleysurgery.nhs.uk and click on the ‘Contact us Online’ section. Once you complete the form, this will then be matched with your record, if the details match. Please do ensure you leave an appropriate contact number, as we may need to contact you if your details do not match our system.