Surgery Opening Hours

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Consulting Times

Surgeries are Monday - Friday excluding Bank Holidays. 

On some days, afternoon appointments are available from 3pm. 

Early morning appointments from 7am - 7.45am and later evening appointments from 6.30pm - 7.15pm are available on certain days.  These appointments are primarily for patients who cannot access services during normal working hours due to work committments etc.

In order to cope with increasing demand we now offer a system of telephone triage for same day appointments. If you have an urgent problem and need to be seen on the same day you should telephone the surgery before 10.30am. After this time please note we shall only be able to deal with emergencies. You will be asked by one of our reception staff to leave your name and contact details. You will also be asked to give brief details of the problem to help the doctor prioritise calls and be well prepared before phoning you.

If you would rather not discuss details with a Receptionist please say so, but please do not be offended by the question, it is asked simply to allow us to manage calls efficiently and appropriately. 

One of our doctors will telephone you to discuss your need for an appointment. Together the doctor and patient can discuss best course of action to be taken. This system will ensure that patients receive the care they need from the most appropriate healthcare professional in the shortest possible time. In this way we can help many more people and ensure that you receive medical help as quickly as possible.

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Emergencies

Please telephone Bindon Abbey (01929) 463444 at any time.

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Talking To A Doctor or Nurse On The Telephone 

If you wish to speak to a doctor or a nurse on the telephone, but not as a consultation, please ring 01929 462376 after 10.30am Mon- Fri.  The receptionist will take your contact number and some other details and ask the doctor or nurse to call you back.  Please be aware that telephone calls will be made between surgeries and home visits and therefore we cannot be specific about the timing of their call to you.

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Routine Appointments

We are able to offer a limited number of appointments which are available to book up to one month in advance. Most of our doctors work part time and you may not always be able to see your doctor of choice. Often a nurse or other healthcare professional may be able to help you Please ask the receptionist for advice.

Extended Hours   -   We have a limited number of early morning and later evening appointments available. These are primarily for patients who find it difficult to make an appointment within our normal surgery times due to work commitments etc.

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Telephone Consultations

As part of the ongoing review of our appointment system we are now able to offer a booked telephone consultation with a doctor at a time to suit you. These appointments will be booked during a normal surgery and you will be given a specific time when the doctor will ring you. (Please be aware that as in face to face appointments in the surgery unavoidable emergencies etc may make these appointments run late on occasions)

Please remember to tell us if you cannot keep your appointment so we can offer it to someone else. This helps keep waiting times down

Several patients can be seen at the surgery in the time that it takes to do one home visit. Home visits are only available for people unable for medical reasons to attend the surgery.

How To Request A Home Visit

Please telephone 01929 463444 before 10.30am if a visit is required that day. We only accept emergency calls after that time. Please give as much information as possible to enable the doctor to allocate priority to house calls.  Our reception staff never refuse requests for home visits but always will ask you for details to help the doctors plan their rounds and to enable a doctor to contact you by telephone if appropriate. It is not possible to guarantee which doctor will visit you.

Even in rural areas, home visits are not available to assist with problems of transport to the surgery, except at the discretion of the doctor concerned. If you phone by 10.30 a.m. we will do our best, so long as we have time available.

Emergency Visits

Phone Bindon Abbey (01929) 463444 at any time. If the problem is an emergency, needing a doctor straight away, please make this completely clear. In some circumstances (collapse, unconsciousness, severe bleeding) you should phone the Ambulance Service first (999).

Telephone Consultations

As part of the ongoing review of our appointment system we are now able to offer a booked telephone consultation with a doctor at a time to suit you. These appointments will be booked during a normal surgery and you will be given a specific time when the doctor will ring you. (Please be aware that as in face to face appointments in the surgery unavoidable emergencies etc may make these appointments run late on occasions)

Please remember to tell us if you cannot keep your appointment so we can offer it to someone else. This helps keep waiting times down.

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Enquiries

If you have any general enquiries such as requesting test results, etc we shall be pleased to help you if you telephone 01929 – 462376 AFTER 2.00 p.m. Monday to Thursday and AFTER 2.30 p.m. Fridays. Please do not ring during morning surgery as we are too busy to check for you at this time and you will be asked to call back.

If you have a query regarding your medication you can speak to a Dispenser on their direct telephone line 01929 401265 at the following times:

• Monday – Thursday (8.30am-1.00pm & 2.00pm – 5.30pm)
• Friday (8.30am-12.30pm & 2.30pm – 5.30pm)

(Please do not telephone the main surgery number with medication queries at other times as reception staff are not able to help you and you will be asked to call back).

Out of Hours

If you are unwell in the evening, overnight or at the weekend or during Bank Holidays you have the following options.

Contact the Urgent Care Service on: 0845 600 10 13

This service is for urgent medical situations – if you, a member of your family, become ill and you are concerned. It is not for routine enquiries, such as booking an appointment with your GP, repeat prescriptions, test results etc.

When you ring the Urgent Care Service call centre at St Leonards, Dorset a trained member of staff will answer the phone and take some details from you. They will pass your details straight over to a doctor or nurse who will ring you back to ask you more about the problem and, with you, will decide the best option for you. Depending on the seriousness of your condition, this might be:

• Advice over the telephone,
• A visit to a local treatment centre, or
• A home visit by a nurse, doctor or paramedic

The Operations Manager,
Dorset Emergency Communications Centre,
Dorset Ambulance NHS Trust,
Ringwood Rd,
St Leonard’s,
Dorset
BH24 2SP
Telephone: 01202 851332.

Please note that your call may be recorded to ensure consistently high standards of service are achieved.