Appointments

Routine appointments

Dear Patients and Carers

REQUIRED CHANGES TO APPOINTMENTS SYSTEM FROM 1 SEPTEMBER 2025

Reason for this very important message

This message is early notice of required changes to the way appointments at Broad Lane Surgery can be booked from Monday 1 September.  This covers all the Practice’s services, not just GP appointments.  This will affect you so please read this message carefully.  Information and guidance are contained in the rest of this message.

Key Points

These changes are required by the government. Many GP practices including several local ones have already adopted them with success.

Starting on Monday 1 September all appointments for any of our services will only be available by completing a simple form available online via the NHS App and our practice website during 8am to 630pm Monday to Friday. Your completed form will come immediately and straight to the Practice at Broad Lane Surgery.  If you do not have access to the App or a computer, you can ring reception at any time during working hours and they can complete the form for you while you are on the phone.  If you are worried that you cannot fill in the form due to a disability, then please call Reception who can complete the form with you on the phone.

Please remember that we are not an emergency service and there are times that 111 and 999 will be more appropriate for you.

From Monday 1 September our current system, with Reception giving you an appointment on the phone, will stop.  The current online booking system, used only for a small number of appointments, will also stop.  Also, as now, appointments will not be available in person in Reception.

Please continue to request your prescriptions in the usual way. That process will remain unchanged.  We will not be using the new system to action prescriptions.

 Advantages

This means that you can contact the surgery on-line between 8am and 630pm Monday to Friday without needing to pick up the phone.  There will no longer be the logjam on the Practice telephone from 8:30 am. You will be contacted by the surgery with a plan to discuss next steps.

What happens after I have submitted my form for an appointment?

Your form will be quickly assessed by the GP Practice during normal Practice hours.  You will be contacted as soon as possible to offer you the care that you need.  We are working on you having options for the day and time. This should increase our capacity for urgent on the day appointments. The new process should allow us to allocate resources fairly for the benefit of all patients.

What do I need to do now?

If you are not already using the NHS App, please download it. Please also orientate yourself with our practice website appointments page.

The following links will be of interest:

Who do I need to see?

The practice employs a range of other practitioners:

General Practitioners (ie doctors or GPs)  They can treat a range of illnesses, provide health screening and give health advice.They can refer patients to a medical specialist or an allied health professional if specialised care is required. GP appointments are 15 minutes in duration. Only one health issue can be discussed per appointment.

Clinical Pharmacist – Highly qualified expert in medicines who can deal with a range of issues including prescription requests, medication reviews, and extra help to manage long term health conditions.

Senior Practice Nurse – Ensures the delivery of safe nursing care including minor illnesses, diabetes management, asthma monitoring, lung function tests, dressings and wound care, public health campaigns such as flu clinics, baby and child immunisations, travel vaccinations, cervical smear tests, family planning, sexual health, smoking cessation advice, weight management, ECGs* and Warfarin management.*

Health Care Assistant – Can assist with blood tests*, Warfarin monitoring*, new patient and health checks, B12 injections*, lung function tests, ECGs*, dressing and wound care, removal of clips and sutures, weight management, blood pressure monitoring, public health campaigns such as flu clinics.

Social Prescriber – We employ a Social Prescriber in partnership with RUILS and our neighbouring practices at Park Road and Hampton Medical Centre.They provide an opportunity to talk through any worries that might be affecting your health and wellbeing in a safe environment. The service supports you to make positive changes in your life by linking you up with groups, activities, and public services that can help.The support they refer you to could include: finding volunteering opportunities; improving emotional wellbeing including befriending schemes, peer support, or arts and leisure activities; social aspects of healthy living, which includes non-medical support to manage a long term health condition; and practical support at home to keep safe.

You can watch a short film on this about Social Prescribing: Transforming Health for London.