Appointments SHORTCUT ivy.gs/appointments
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Types of appointment
We run a full appointment system, with different types of appointments available throughout the day. Click a button below to go to the relevant section.
Acute care clinics Routine appointments Telephone appointments Hub appointmentsAcute Care Clinic appointments
Every weekday morning we hold acute care clinics for patients who feel they need to see us the same day. If you feel you need to be seen urgently the same day, please ring reception on the number above.
If we are full for the day and you require to be seen, the doctor on duty may ring you to ask for more information about your condition so that it may be dealt with in the appropriate manner.
Use of the acute care clinic is subject to the following:
- We run this new service Monday to Friday mornings
- This clinic is designed to reduce appointment waiting times for those patients who need to see us sooner
- It should also reduce pressure on phones as patients will not need to keep ringing back at 8am every day
- It is for things like chest infections, childhood illness, skin conditions, acute pain, headache etc
- This clinic is only for quick problems that have come on recently
- Or for longer-term problems that have suddenly got worse
- If you have a stable long-term problem or need a general review, please book a routine appointment
- This clinic is not a replacement for self-care and self-help - visit ivy.gs/symptoms and ivy.gs/help
- There is no pre-booking of appointments before the day - please ring on the day itself
- Please do not just turn up at the desk expecting to be seen - we are not a walk-in service
- Please always ring us for an appointment - you will be given a time to attend
- You may have to wait but you will definitely be seen on the day
- The clinic is extremely busy so we ask for your patience - you will be seen
- Patients may be seen out of turn according to clinical priority
- We cannot guarantee that you will be seen by any particular doctor
- If your problem is not appropriate for the acute care clinic, you will be advised accordingly
- We encourage self-help; please download minor illness leaflets written by our doctors at ivy.gs/downloads
- Please use this service responsibly, otherwise it may be withdrawn without notice
Routine appointments
The rest of our appointments are routine pre-bookable appointments, and can be booked up to 4 weeks in advance. Our late evening appointment slots are generally for the benefit of those who work during the day. These appointments are for generally non-urgent problems that can wait several days or weeks until we are next available.
Telephone appointments
Telephone appointments can be booked for issues which:
- Do not require examination
- Are straight-forward
- Can be completed within 5 minutes
- You are certain about
Examples of suitable reasons for telephone appointments:
- Reviews of some long term conditions (e.g., thyroid disorder)
- Administrative requests and forms (e.g., sick notes)
- Minor illness advice
- Simple medication requests or advice on medication
You will be given a time around which the doctor will ring you when the doctor gets to that point in their surgery. If following the call, the doctor decides you do need to be seen, you will be booked a face to face appointment as appropriate. The doctor will try to ring you twice. If we are not able to get through to you, please rebook your telephone appointment.
Hub appointments
Extra appointments are available every weekday evening and weekend mornings including all bank holidays.
- Provided by Amber Valley Health
- Held at Church Farm Primary Care Centre
- Evening & weekend appointments
- Includes all bank holidays
- May see doctor/nurse from any neighbouring practice
- Ring reception to book
Missed and Late Appointments
Missed appointments waste huge amounts of time and effort. Nationally, missed appointments cost the NHS over half a billion pounds a year, which is enough to run two hospitals. The total number of missed appointments in this surgery alone is equivalent to the loss of two weeks of GP and nurse appointments every year!
Please bear this in mind the next time you ring and can't get an appointment - it may be because someone didn't come to their appointment and forgot to cancel. If you could possibly be that person, please try and let us know that you cannot make it to your appointment, so that we may give your appointment to someone else. Patients who repeatedly fail to attend their appointments will be sent a letter, and may be removed from our panel.
If you are more than ten minutes late for your appointment, you will only be seen at the discretion of the doctor or nurse and you may have to wait until the end of surgery.
Out of Hours
In an emergency, when the surgery is closed, please ring 111. When you ring you will be directly connected to Derbyshire Health United who provides out of hours medical services for the local population.
© Dr Michael Wong 2019