Appointments

Our Appointment System

This information is intended to assist you in understanding how our appointment system works to best meet your needs and in line with our capacity or recommended options.

With nearly 5,500 patients, Northern Moor Medical Practice conducted over 25,000 appointments last year with an average DNA (did not attend) rate of 10%.  With appointments required to support both new and ongoing illnesses, it can be challenging to ensure that appropriate appointments are available for our patients and within a timescale appropriate for their problem.

Appointment Types:

We have set out below the different types of appointments that we offer which should meet the needs of the majority of our patients:

• Routine appointments – these are booked up to 4 weeks in advance and are used for a new but not urgent problem or for  follow-up to ongoing problems (for further information, please refer to ‘Making an appointment’ section below)
• On the day urgent appointments – these are for urgent problems which may need to be dealt with as a matter of medical emergency.  As these appointments may be in demand, please call early (0161 998 2503) and only in genuine situations should you wish to book one. If we are unable to provide you with an appointment at the Practice, you may be offered an appointment by an external provider (see enhanced access section below). Alternatively, if your problem is urgent (but not life threatening), please call 111 (see additional information below)
• Nurse appointments – our nursing team are able to deal with a variety of medical problems including monitoring long term health conditions, vaccinations, and smears.
• Mental Health Practitioner appointments – these longer appointments are delivered by our mental health specialist to understand your needs and direct you to the most appropriate treatment.
• Musculoskeletal Appointments –  these longer appointments are delivered by a senior physiotherapist who will diagnose your problem and may request further investigations such as x-rays or scans, refer you for specialist treatment or support or provide you with a rehabilitation plan to manage your pain.
• Home visits – these appointments are restricted to patients who are genuinely housebound and unable to attend the Practice in person; please contact the Practice for further information on how to request a home visit.
• Telephone appointments – these are used for patients who are unable to attend the Practice or if the problem does not require a face-to-face interaction; these appointments help save time for both patient/clinician. Routine and urgent appointments can be by telephone.

In addition to our Practice appointments, you may be offered other medical services which are provided by external providers:

• Enhanced Access – if you need an appointment with a GP or Nurse but you are unavailable to attend the Practice during our general operating hours of 8am – 6.30pm, you can request an appointment with our ‘enhanced access’ team. These appointments take place in the evenings and on weekends, and are either held here or at one of our neighbouring practices.  Please speak to a member of Reception team if you would like to know more information about this service
• Pharmacy – you may be advised to visit your local pharmacist who can assist on a range of ailments, to include: aches & pains, sore throat, cough, cold, flu, earache, cystitis, skin rashes.

Making an appointment:

There are several ways in which you can make an appointment at the Practice:

• By phone on 0161 998 2503 – our phone lines open at 8am; due to the high volume of calls, you may have a lengthy wait to have your call answered.

• Online consultation (request an appointment online)– suitable for routine appointments or queries via the online link on our website or text; problems are triaged by our team of clinicians who will advise of appropriate action. Requests will be reviewed the following day and you may be subsequently contacted with the offer of an appointment, or your query answered with a text message. Do not use for urgent issues.

• In person – the Practice opens at 8am; please speak to a member of our reception.

Please understand that the receptionists and clinical staff are trying to meet the needs of thousands of patients, each of whom is very important. Although we want to offer personal, patient-centred care, we are often stretched to the limit. Please try to be understanding if things are not completely to your satisfaction.

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Cancelling & Rescheduling Appointments

If you cannot attend your given appointment please call us on 0161 998 2503 to cancel or reschedule. If you are set up to receive appointment reminders, you will also have the facility to cancel your appointment via a link. Unfortunately we often we have patients fail to turn up for their appointments without informing us. These appointment slots could be put to good use and offered to another patient, allowing the doctors and nurses to reduce any backlog of patients and reduce waiting times. Please think of others when you can no longer attend or need a rescheduled appointment.

Text Message Appointment Reminders

Please click here to fill in our online form if you would like to sign up to receive text message reminders from the surgery. Please ensure there is an up-to-date mobile number on your record to receive a text message appointment reminder.

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Alternative Options

NHS 111 is a free-to-call, non-emergency, medical helpline operating in England. The service is part of the country’s  NHS telephone triage and advice services.

Available 24 hours-a-day, the NHS 111 Service is intended for ‘urgent but not life-threatening’ health issues .

Provided nationwide, you are able to pick up the phone at any location in England and Scotland and ring 111 and receive the same level of care. The service is available for urgent healthcare assessment and you will be directed to the most suitable local service for your needs. If you are unsure which healthcare service you need to visit, the NHS 111 service will signpost you to the most appropriate care for your condition, for example, GP,  local pharmacy, Walk-in-Centre, community-based services, A&E or an emergency ambulance response

Online Services

Using online services such as the NHS App or Patient Access allows you to book and manage appointments as well as access a range of NHS services.