We offer a same day telephone triage service. If you require urgent help you will be offered an appointment to attend the surgery. This will be the next available appointment, so if you call to be added to the telephone triage, please be free to take a call back and ensure that you can attend within a few hours if you do need to be seen.
Routine appointments with a GP are available within three weeks in most cases. All of our doctors, with one exception, are in practice 3 days per week so if you wish to see a particular doctor you may need to wait a little longer.
If you would like to see a particular doctor please ask when you make your appointment and we will do our best to accommodate this. Emergency appointments will be with which ever doctor is triaging that day and if needing to be seen, you will be with whichever doctor is seeing the same day triage patients and this may be one of our trainee GPs.
When you arrive at the surgery, please book in on the arrivals screen or report to reception. If you are delayed or cannot attend your appointment, please let us know as soon as possible.
Urgent appointments
Please call the surgery as early as possible should you require an urgent or same day appointment on 01608 650764, the phone lines are open from 8am.
When you get in touch, we’ll ask what you need help with. It is helpful to supply as much information as possible when speaking with the receptionist as this will help them to advise you of the next course of action to help you problem quickly and efficiently. The receptionist have been instructed by the clinical team to ask you a few specific questions. If you are added to the triage list your answers will help the GP decide quickly if your need is extremely urgent. It will also help the reception team signpost you to another more suitable service for your problem, if there is one. Questions you may be asked will include;
- What is the problem today?
- How long have you had the problem for?
- What have you tried already to help the problem?
- What are you hoping for as a result of your contact today?
Routine appointments
Routine appointments with doctor or nurse are bookable up to 2 months in advance.
To request a routine appointment in advance during opening times:
- phone us on 01608 650764
- visit the surgery
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.
Get medical advice from a nurse
To ask a non-urgent medical question:
- fill out an ask a nurse a question form
We will respond within 2 working days during opening times.
Appointment alternatives
Whilst we will always speak or see if clinically appropriate patients who are experiencing acute illness, as well as our chronically unwell patients, there are alternative services that may be of help.
Our reception team are now fully trained to give care navigation advice to patients to direct them to the right service, at the right time and in the right place to ensure you get the care you need. Please do take their advice – our GPs endorse this.
You can get lots of information from the NHS 111 website, or you can call them. Please also sign up for the NHS App so you can check your symptoms and get advice on the best course of treatment.
The Minor Injuries and Illness Unit at the North Cotswolds Hospital is open all day, 8am to 8pm, so please also bear this in mind as they offer an excellent service and our reception team may be directing you to see them, they are currently operating a telephone triage service before seeing patients, you can call them 0300 421 8774 Option 1. If you are unsure, do contact our reception team about the services of the MIIU.
We are of course always here to help you but please do consider alternatives if you feel they may be helpful. Thank you for your support during these difficult times in general practice.
Extended hours
We offer telephone calls once a week between 18.30-20.00. This is on a rotational basis with each doctor having an extended telephone clinic once every 5 weeks.
Enhanced Access Clinics with Allied professionals
We offer appointments with health care professionals such as a Mental Health Nurse, a Physiotherapist, a Health and Wellbeing coach, and there are also clinics for specialist appointments such as HRT advice available. These may be held at our Four Shires Medical Centre site or at the GP practices in Bourton on the Water, Stow on the Wold and Chipping Campden. You can go to whichever clinic is most convenient for you, from those offered. There are also weekend clinics offered for some services, and these may be at a location other than Four Shires Medical Centre. This is all part of our collaboration with our Primary Care Network (PCN) practices to improve access to a variety of health care solutions for you.
Your appointment
However you choose to contact us, we may offer you a consultation:
- by phone
- face to face at the surgery
For further information on your appointment please see our help us to help you page.
Cancelling or changing an appointment
If you are unable to attend your appointment for any reason, or the health problem for which you booked your appointment has cleared up, please remember to cancel your appointment.
To cancel your appointment:
- use your NHS account (through the NHS website or NHS App)
- use the GP online system: SystmOnline
- phone us on 01608 650764 during opening times
- use the ‘cancel an appointment’ form via our website
Please let us know well in advance if you cannot make your appointment so that it may be allocated to another patient.
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
- if you would prefer to consult with the doctor or nurse by phone, face-to-face, by text or email
- if you need an interpreter
- if you have any other access or communication needs
Home visits
It is clinically better for you to be seen at the surgery where we have better facilities, diagnostic aids and lighting to assess you.
Home visits are for housebound patients and for those too ill to attend the surgery. Home visits are not for those who do not have transport.
If you need a home visit please contact the surgery when the phone lines open at 8am or as soon as possible after, and give one of our receptionists details to enable the doctor to judge whether a home visit is appropriate and the urgency of your needs. Home visits will be directed to your own GP where possible.