Appointments
Urgent appointments
To request an urgent appointment for today (Monday to Friday) during opening times:
- use the Anima service – if you are unable to use anima, please call the surgery
- visit the surgery and speak with a receptionist
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 health professional to help you.
Routine appointments
To request a routine appointment in advance during opening times:
- use the Anima service – if you are unable to use anima, please call the surgery
- visit the surgery and speak with a receptionist
When you get in touch, we’ll ask what you need help with.
Your appointment
However you choose to contact us, we may offer you a consultation:
- by phone
- face to face at the surgery
- by text or email
Appointments by phone or by text or email can be more flexible and often means you get help sooner.
Cancelling or changing an appointment
To cancel your appointment:
- use the Anima service – if you are unable to use anima, please call the surgery
- use your NHS account (through the NHS website or NHS App)
- phone us on Ardleigh Surgery 01206 230224 during opening times
- 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 or by text or email
- if you need an interpreter
- if you have any other access or communication needs
Home visits
If you feel that you are too ill to get to the surgery and need to be seen by a doctor, please call before 11:00 if possible to request a visit. This is so that the day’s visits can be allocated and planned. Please provide accurate directions to help the doctor find your home.
The criteria for a home visit is as follows:
- Patient is too ill to travel , this will be assessed by the duty doctor.
- Patient is wheelchair bound and requires the assistance of more than one person to get in and out of vehicle
- Patient has a psychological condition that makes travel impossible for example severe dementia or agoraphobia. Such patients should not be able to go with family and friends either.
- has a physical condition that makes travel in a normal vehicle impossible – for example such patients should not be able to go out for meals with family and they will need an ambulance crew to take them to out patient appointment.
Unfortunately, it is not always possible for you to choose which GP will visit. Where possible, we accommodate requests but the decisions are made by the doctors based on who knows the patients best, the geographical locations of the patients and how many visits need to be carried out that day.
Please do not ask for a home visit if there is any way you can get to the surgery. The doctor can look after you better in the surgery. On average, in a rural area 5 patients can be seen in the surgery in the time it takes to do 1 home visit.
You may be visited at home by a community nurse if you are referred by your GP.
You should 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.
Evidence suggests that if we provide a home visit to those patients who need it before midday, we can refer patients to hospital earlier, if necessary. This may ensure a better outcome for patients who are then likely to be seen earlier in the day and return home, if at all possible. This outcome will also provide a cost saving to the NHS.