The right care at the right time in the right place.

Care Navigation is a tried and tested model of care that improves access to primary care services for patients and reduces GP pressures all in one. It allows front line staff to provide patients with more information about local health and wellbeing services, both within and outside of primary care, in a safe, effective way. It is about offering patients choice and help to access the most appropriate service first which is not always the GP. It means that patients will find it easier to get a GP appointment when they need one.

Care navigators are receptionists who have been given specialist training to help them direct patients to the right health professional first time.

In order to help you book the most appropriate type of appointment, all of our receptionists are trained care navigators. When you contact the practice to book an appointment you will be asked for a brief outline of the problem. You can decline to give information if you wish, and you will never be refused a GP appointment if one is available. In the event that the clinician you see cannot deal with your problem, they will seek advice from the duty GP or arrange an appropriate GP appointment for you.

We offer a wide range of appointments via telephone, video call, online or face to face.

Appointments are available to book with the following members of the team:

• Nurse/HCA
• Advanced Care Practitioner
• GP
• Pharmacist
• First contact Physiotherapist
• Community Care Coordinator
• Cancer Care Coordinator
• Social Prescriber
• Midwife

Our practice nurses can deal with a wide range of conditions. Please consider a nurse appointment for any of the following.

Monitoring for long term conditions: Asthma, COPD, Blood Pressure, Diabetes, Heart Disease

Minor Illness: Rashes, Ear ache/hearing difficulty, Sore throat, bilateral leg swelling, urinary tract infections

Clinics: Smears, Immunisations, simple wound management, Doppler assessment for circulation.

GP & Nurse appointments are now available in your area evenings and weekends. This service is for routine appointments only. Please ask at reception for further details.

Consultations are strictly by appointment and will be offered at a 'local area hub' between 18:30 - 20:00 Monday - Friday and 09:00 - 17:00 Saturday.

Whilst we encourage our patients to come to the surgery, where we have the proper equipment and facilities available, we do appreciate this is not always possible. In this respect, if you do need a home visit, you can help us by calling reception before 10:30.

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

You can also be visited at home by a community nurse if you are referred by your GP. You should also be visited at home by a health visitor if you have recently had a baby or if you are newly registered with a GP and have a child under five years.

It is important that you inform the reception staff if you are unable to attend your appointment, this will allow that appointment to be offered to another patient. If you fail to notify the Practice that you are unable to attend, you will be sent a letter informing you that you have defaulted from your appointment. Persistent defaulters maybe removed from the list.

We have a texting service which allows you to receive confirmation and reminders about your appointments.

We also use a text service to update you on general communication and test results. More information can be found here Patient Information Leaflets

Please remember to update your contact details with us when you change address, telephone numbers and email address.

Occasionally we may have to substitute a different doctor from the one you may have been expecting to see. This may be another partner from Prees or Wem surgery or a locum doctor. It may be unavoidable for various reasons including holiday, sickness, emergency or essential training.

Locums provide a valuable service and are as well-trained and qualified as the partners. They have to meet stringent standards to be allowed to practice within the Shropshire PCT area so please be assured you will receive the highest possible standard of attention.

We are a teaching practice which means we can help train medical students, student nurses and GPs in the final year of their higher professional training (Registrars) . You may be offered appointments with a student , or asked if you would mind your consultation being videoed for training purposes. Your co-operation with this is greatly appreciated.