Urgent appointments
We operate a book on the day appointment system every morning. The afternoon surgeries and some early morning appointments can be booked in advance. If there is a shortfall in doctor cover, these appointments may be held back and released on the day.
If all our ‘on the day’ appointments have been booked, we will always offer you the next available appointment/s. If this proposed appointment/s is or are not appropriate, we will signpost you to appropriate services which are available to you.
To request an urgent appointment for today (Monday to Friday) during opening times:
- phone us on 01344 773418 at 8am
- visit the surgery at 8am
When you get in touch, we’ll ask what you need help with.
We will use your answers to choose the most suitable doctor, nurse or healthcare professional to help you.
Routine appointments
We aim to offer routine appointments with a doctor within two working days. This may not be with your usual doctor. If you require an appointment at a particular time or with a particular doctor, you can still book up to four weeks in advance.
Most appointments can be booked up to four weeks in advance to accommodate those who may not have an urgent need to see the doctor or nurse or who may need to plan their appointments around work or family commitments.
To request a routine appointment in advance during opening times:
- phone us on 01344 773418
- use your NHS account (through the NHS website or NHS App) or Patient Access to book an appointment, screening test or vaccination
When you get in touch, we’ll ask what you need help with.
We will use your answers to choose the most suitable doctor, nurse or healthcare professional to help you.
Appointments may be limited so we may not always be able to offer you an appointment on the day of your choice. If this is the case you may be asked to call at 8am on the morning you require the appointment.
Telephone consultations
Doctors can prescribe and advise over the phone. We therefore offer the choice of a face to face or telephone appointment with a doctor throughout the usual daily GP clinics. These are for both on the day and book in advance appointments. The receptionist will ask you which type of consultation you prefer, if appropriate. During your telephone consultation, if the doctor feels you need to be seen they may ask you to come to the surgery.
If you would like a “book on the day” telephone appointment, please phone the surgery on 01344 773418 as normal. Please be aware that the receptionists will need to ask what your appointment is for.
The doctors will do their very best to call during your allotted time so please ensure you are available to take their call. There will be occasions where the doctor will call earlier or later than planned and we appreciate your understanding should this happen.
Enhanced access
We offer extended hours appointments on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday afternoons and Wednesday and Thursday mornings.
These extended hours are for book in advance only appointments with a clinician. If you would like to book an extended hours appointment, please phone us during our normal opening hours.
We also provide various Saturday morning clinics from 8am to midday for book in advance appointments. If you would like an appointment with a GP or nurse, please phone us to arrange. Please note that these Saturday appointments are also available to book online.
Our phone lines are open daily until 6:30pm. Please note that our phone lines are not open during extended hours.
We’re here for you, for longer (PDF)
Reception team
Our receptionists are fully trained and do a very difficult job well. Please remember that if you need to be kept waiting or seem to be asked one or two irritating questions, they are carrying out our policy which is aimed at making the practice run smoothly. Our receptionists have to judge the urgency of your request so please try and give them the necessary information. They have been trained to elicit this and are not just being nosy.
Phone lines
We are pleased to announce that our new patient call back enhancements are now live. Patient call back is a fair and intelligent queue distribution system, ensuring you receive a call from the surgery when you would have ordinarily reached the front of the queue, without having to stay on the phone. This feature saves you time and money that would have been spent on the call, queuing and speaking to a staff member. When our phone lines’ incoming calls reach 10, the automatic patient call back feature will activate.
If you would rather not use patient call back, simply stay on the phone. The choice is yours.
Your appointment
However you choose to contact us, we may offer you a consultation:
- by phone
- face to face at the surgery
Appointment times
Appointments are booked at 10 minute intervals and although we try to keep to time this is not always possible due to the complexity and seriousness of some conditions. We therefore request your patience in such circumstances. If you have more than one condition you wish to discuss with the doctor please ask for a double appointment.
Please also remember that emergencies can occur throughout the day and it is necessary, on occasions, for the doctor you are seeing to leave the surgery to deal with them. You will be informed by the receptionist if this happens and offered the choice of awaiting the doctor’s return or making another appointment.
Cancelling or changing an appointment
To cancel your appointment:
- use your NHS account (through the NHS website or NHS App)
- use the GP online system: Patient Access
- phone us on 01344 773418 during opening times
If you need help when we are closed
Out of hours services are generally busy so please think carefully before asking to see a doctor and only do so if you genuinely cannot wait until the surgery reopens.
If you need to access medical care out of hours, 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.
If you need treatment out of hours, NHS 111 will contact the local out of hours provider WestCall directly on your behalf.
If you are experiencing something that makes you feel unsafe, distressed, or worried about your mental health, you can now contact your local crisis service calling: 111 option 2 for mental health, or mental health direct on 0800 995 1000.
Call 999 in a medical or mental health emergency. This is when someone is seriously ill or injured and their life is at risk.
Reading walk-in centre
Reading walk-in Health Centre is located on the first floor of the Broad Street Mall in Reading town centre and offers a wide range of GP-led services. The walk-in Health Centre is an 8am to 8pm service, open to registered and unregistered patients with or without an appointment, 365 days per year. Please note that after 5pm on Sundays when the Broad Street Mall is closed, entrance to the Centre is only possible using the door near to Burger King.
Brants Bridge
Brants Bridge in Bracknell is open 8am to 8pm 7 days a week and offer a walk in service for minor injuries. These include sprains and strains, suspected broken limbs, minor head injuries, cuts and grazes, minor scalds and burns and wound infections. If necessary, they will refer you for follow-up treatment. You can find more information at Bracknell Urgent Care Centre – One Medical Group.
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 or face to face
- if you need an interpreter
- if you have any other access or communication needs
Home visits
If you are able, please come to the surgery. If you are housebound or too ill to travel and require an urgent home visit please phone before 10am.
When a visit is requested it is helpful if you can give the receptionist enough information to allow the doctor to prioritise the request.
Be prepared to give the following details to the receptionist:
- full name of the patient for whom the call is being made
- full address to which you would like the doctor to call
- age or date of birth of the patient
- telephone number
- brief details of what is wrong with the patient
You may then be put through to speak to one of the doctors to assess the urgency/necessity of the visit.
Please remember that the doctors can see several people in the surgery in the time it takes to carry out a home visit so it would be appreciated if you attend the surgery whenever possible.
There is access to the surgery for our disabled patients.