General Information
1. When is the Practice open?
Monday – Friday, 8am – 6:30pm for general enquires and appointments.
Enhanced Access (out of hours appointments) – Four evenings a week for telephone calls from 6:00pm -8 :15pm, and four out of five Saturdays, from 9am – 5pm.
2. How do I get my test results?
By telephoning the Practice on 01621 876433, and selecting Option 6, Monday – Friday,
4pm – 6pm.
Test results can also be accessed via SystmOnline, Airmid, and the NHS App.
If you would like to obtain a copy of your test results you can submit a Subject Access Request via our Administration department.
We do not recommend obtaining your test results over the front desk due to the lack of privacy in this public area.
3. How do I get a ‘sick note’ or show that I am unfit for work?
Patients will need to self-certify via the Gov website for seven days before they are eligible to obtain a Med3 from the Practice.
A continuation of a Med3’s can be requested via Reception or by submitting an Accurx admin request.
New requests for Med3’s will require appointments if there is not preexisting evidence on the patients record to support the request.
4. How do I change my contact details? (title, name, address, next of kin, etc)
Please complete a change of details form. These can be obtained from our website or from our Administration or Reception teams.
Please note a form will need to be completed for each person who requires an amendment to their details.
The Practice will need to see proof of any amendment to names. (For example, a deed poll or marriage certificate)
5. How can I provide feedback about my GP Practice?
Feedback can be submitted in writing addressed to the Practice Manager via the Administration or Reception teams. The Practice also welcomes Google Reviews from our patient. Please click here to leave a Google Review.
6. Can my partner or relative obtain my test results?
Only individuals you have given prior written consent to, can obtain information from your medical records.
7. Can someone collect my prescription for me?
Yes, anyone can collect your prescription on your behalf.
Make sure to inform them if you are exempt from paying for your prescriptions.
8. How do I get the NHS App?
We recommend visiting the following NHS webpage for full details of how you can set up the NHS App: https://help.login.nhs.uk/setupnhslogin/
9. Why were services such as routine dressings and ear syringing stopped?
The Practice no longer offers dressing appointments for wounds that are beyond our Nursing teams competencies. These types of wounds are referred onto Tissue Viability for further monitoring and treatment.
GP Practices no longer routinely offer ear wax removal because it has been reclassified as a non-core or specialist service, not an essential one, due to NHS funding changes, safety concerns about older methods like syringing, and a desire to focus on core services. Patients are now often advised to self-manage with ear drops, seek help from a Pharmacist, or be referred to alternative NHS services or private providers, if they meet strict criteria.
10. What is a PCN?
A Primary Care Network (PCN) is a group of GP Practices that work together with other health and social care services in a local community to provide integrated care to their local demographic.
PCNs aim to improve access and quality of care by allowing Practices to share resources, collaborate, and provide a wider range of services, such as specialist roles like Clinical Pharmacists and Social Prescribers, which might not be feasible on an individual Practice level.
11. Why don’t you just hire more GPs?
Unfortunately, there is a nationwide issue regarding the difficulty in recruiting Clinicians into the NHS. There were 2062 fewer fully qualified GPs in England in September 2023 compared to September 2015 and the population size has grown by over six million.
However, the Practice has recruited two new GPs onto its team over the last year to help meet and improve the demand for its services.
12. Why are the queues for the telephone so long?
The Practice has improved its telephone wait times by investing into its Reception team and also by promoting alternative ways to contact the Practice that do not require telephoning through.
13. Why can’t I request more than a month’s supply of medication each time?
Mid and South Essex, like most NHS areas, primarily prescribes a one-month supply of medication to balance patient convenience, safety, and minimize drug waste. This is in line with national guidance from the Department of Health, which recommends a twenty-eight-day prescribing interval.
Appointments
14. How do I book an appointment?
Since September 2025 been using an online booking system called Accurx to try to manage this demand and make accessing our services easier.
Accurx is an online service which allows you to submit new health problems and admin requests, as well as review online advice.
New health problem requests will need to be submitted using the ‘I have a health problem’ tab, these requests will then be triaged by a Senior Clinician who is able to arrange appointments up to four weeks in advance (depending upon the urgency of your presentation), with the most appropriate member of the Clinical team.
The Accurx system will also allow you to contact the Surgery for non-clinical admin enquiries such as prescription or Med3 requests.
Alternatively, some on the day GP appointments and pre-bookable Nurse, Healthcare Assistant, and Pharmacist appointments can be booked via SystmOnline.
Our telephone lines will remain open for those without, and those who are unable to use internet facilities. Patients can call us on 01621 876433 and select option 7 for Reception, their lines are open between 08.00 – 12.00, and 14:00 – 18.30, Monday to Friday.
15. Why do I have to use Accurx to make an appointment?
It is now an NHS contractual requirement for the Practice to offer appointments in this way.
Accurx is the Practice’s chosen digital platform to arrange appointments, request medication, and submit administration queries.
The Practice has multiple ways for patients to obtain appointments:
- Submitting a Accurx request
- Booking through SystmOnline/Aimed/NHS APP
- Telephoning the Practice
- Booking over the Reception desk
The Practice always recommends for patients to submit Accurx requests to obtain appointments as this is the most efficient way to contact the Practice as patients are guaranteed a response within seventy-two working hours.
16. Why can’t I see someone face-to-face?
Please specify this preference within your Accurx request. The Practice will always aim to accommodate our patients’ preferences if capacity and demand allows us to.
17. Why do I have to wait so long to be seen?
All appointment requests are triaged by a Senior Clinician, who will arrange appointments up to two weeks in advance with the most appropriate member of the Clinical team depending on the information provided within the request.
We always recommend including as much information as possible within your request to ensure you are seen within an appropriate timeframe.
18. Why does the GP Surgery keep taking on new patients when they cannot manage the ones they already have?
In the UK, a GP Practice cannot arbitrarily close its patient list because it is part of the NHS system, which has a fundamental obligation to provide care to the local population. The ability to close a list is tightly regulated to ensure patients can still access essential services.
However, there are specific circumstances under which a Practice can formally apply for list closure. This is not an automatic process and requires approval from the local Integrated Care Board (ICB).
19. Why can I never see the same Clinician?
The Senior Clinician will always review the patients record to see who they have seen previously and if appropriate they will book them back in with this Clinician if capacity allows for this.
Who you see also depends on your presenting issue. The Practice has a wide Clinical team who all have their own knowledge and specialist interests, and it may be more appropriate for you to see an alternative Clinician.
20. Who can I speak to/make an appointment with, when I feel anxious or sad?
If you feel you need urgent help with your mental wellbeing then you will need to contact NHS 111, option 2 for the Crisis team.
If you feel you would benefit from ongoing mental health support from the Practice, then please submit a clinical request. Once triaged, you will be booked an appointment with our PCN Mental Health Practitioner, who will be able to offer you appropriate advice and support.
Alternatively, instead of contacting the Practice you can self-refer to Health in Mind (Mid Essex IAPT) for talking therapies that can support you with how you are feeling: https://www.hpft-talkingtherapies.nhs.uk/referral
21. Why does the Clinician not ring at the booked appointment time for a telephone appointment?
Clinicians will always aim to contact patients at their booked appointment time if demand and capacity allows them to. However, there are occasions where emergency situations occur, and services are inevitably delayed.
The Practice does however advise patients if they will be contacted either in the morning or the afternoon.
22. Why do I have to wait so long to be seen at the Hospital for an appointment?
Long hospital referral wait times are caused by high demand outpacing treatment capacity, which is worsened by workforce shortages and limited resources.
The COVID-19 pandemic created a large backlog, and since then, more people are referred than are treated each month. Factors such as increased demand for care, staffing issues, and potential delays in the referral process itself all contribute to the problem.
23. Why do I sometimes get sent to the Pharmacy when I submit an Accurx request?
Your GP practice may send you to the Pharmacy for two main reasons: to pick up an electronic prescription or for a direct consultation for a minor illness, which is part of a new service called Pharmacy First. This is often more convenient, as Pharmacies are open longer hours and can handle specific conditions without you needing a GP appointment.
Therefore, this preserves appointments for those who really need them.
24. How do I get to see the GP I want to see?
Please specify the Clinician you wish to see within your Accurx request. The Practice will always aim to accommodate our patients’ preferences if capacity and demand allows us to.
25. What shall I do if I need an appointment and Accurx is closed?
Please contact NHS 111 for guidance and support for non-urgent queries. For urgent/emergency cases, please call 999 or attend a local Urgent Treatment Centre (our closet one is located at Colchester General Hospital).