Appointments

Urgent appointments

To request an urgent appointment for today or tomorrow (Monday to Friday):

• phone us on 01604 405006, Monday to Friday from 8am to 6.30pm. Please say at the outset if your call is about a medically urgent or emergency problem
• visit the surgery and speak with a receptionist, Monday to Friday from 8am to 6.30pm

When you get in touch, we’ll ask what you need help with.

We will use the information you give us to choose the most suitable doctor, nurse or health professional to help you.

Routine appointments

To request a routine appointment in the next 7 days:

• use our appointment request form, Monday to Friday 7am to 4pm
• use your SystmOnline account
• phone us on 01604 405006, Monday to Friday from 8am to 6.30pm. Where possible please ring after 2pm as the lines will be less busy
• visit the surgery and speak with a receptionist, Monday to Friday from 8am to 6.30pm
• use your NHS account (through the NHS website or NHS App) to book a screening test or vaccination

When you get in touch, we’ll ask what you need help with.

We will use the information you give us to choose the most suitable doctor, nurse or health professional to help you.

Your appointment

However you choose to contact us, we may offer you a consultation:

• by phone
• face to face at the surgery
• on a video call
• by text or email

Appointments by phone, video call or by text or email can be more flexible and often means you get help sooner.

Cancelling or changing an appointment

Please attend your appointment on time. If you are more than 10 minutes late the patient ‘check-in’ system will automatically mark the appointment as a `Did Not Attend’ and you may not be seen. If the clinician determines on the basis of your medical needs to see you, then you may have to wait until after other patients have been seen who arrived on time for their appointment. 

If after arriving late for your appointment you are not seen then you will normally not be able to re-arrange your appointment until the next working day. This is to due to patient daily demand for appointments. However, a medical emergency that requires immediate attention will usually be assessed by a clinician on the same day.

To cancel your appointment:

• use your NHS account (through the NHS website or NHS App)
• using the GP online system – SystmOnline
• phone us on 01604 405006, Monday to Friday from 8am to 6.30pm
• reply CANCEL to your appointment reminder text message

If you need help when we are closed

If you need medical help now, use NHS 111 online or call 111.

NHS 111 online is for people aged 5 and over. Call 111 if you need help for a child under 5.

Call 999 in a medical or mental health emergency. This is when someone is seriously ill or injured and their life is at risk.

If you need help with your appointment

Please tell us:

• if there’s a specific doctor, nurse or other health professional you would prefer to respond
• if you would prefer to consult with the doctor or nurse by phone, face-to-face, by video call or by text or email
• if you need an interpreter
• if you would like a chaperone
• if you have any other access or communication needs

Enhanced Access

There are now more bookable GP appointments in Northampton, making it easier for you to get an appointment at a time that suits you including evenings, weekends and bank holidays.

Appointments are available:

• 6.30pm – 9.30pm Weekdays
• 9am – 5pm Weekends

The Enhanced Access Service is an extension of your usual GP Practice, it is not a Walk-In-Service – You need to contact your GP Practice to make an appointment.

The Enhanced Access Service at evenings and week-ends is located on the ground floor of Highfield Clinical Care Centre, Cliftonville Road, Northampton, NN1 5BD (situated in between the Securicor and Avery Care Home buildings on Cliftonville Road).

You will be seen by experienced Northampton GPs and Nurses, but it is unlikely that you will be seen by your own GP or Nurse.

Patients of Rillwood Medical Centre can also see an NHS GP by video using LIVI, even at the weekend!

Get medical advice, prescriptions and referrals on the same day – even at weekends.

The service is provided free on the NHS.

• You can download the LIVI app to your mobile phone or tablet, at the App Store or Google Play. Or visit livi.co.uk for more information.
• LIVI GPs are all GMC-registered NHS GPS, who (with your consent) will be able to access your medical records and give you a considered, in-depth diagnosis based on your medical history.

Download the LIVI app:

Home visits

We encourage our patients to come to the surgery where the proper equipment and facilities are available to treat patients. However, we do appreciate that this is not always possible. In this respect, if your medical condition means you cannot make it to the surgery please ring the surgery reception as early in the day as possible and be prepared to provide as much information as you can about your symptoms so that the doctor can fully assess your need for a home visit and also be able to arrange a schedule for making any necessary visits.

You may only request a home visit if you are housebound or are too ill to visit the practice. Your GP will only visit you at home if they think that your medical condition requires it and will also decide how urgently a visit is needed. Please bear this in mind and be prepared to provide suitable details to enable the doctor to schedule house calls.

Health Visitor: If you have recently had a baby you should expect to be visited at home by a member of the health visitors’ team usually within 10 to 14 days after giving birth. You can also expect a home visit from the health visitors’ team if you are newly registered with the surgery and have a child that is under 5 years of age (Telephone: 0300 1111 022).