Contact us with Accurx
You can contact a doctor, nurse or other healthcare professional online using a website called Accurx.
Accurx allows you to complete a short online form about your symptoms or query which will be triaged by one of our clinicians or lead admin.
Use Accurx to
- book an appointment to discuss a new or ongoing medical problem
- discuss some test results
- get a skin lesion or rash checked
- get some travel advice
- get some contraception or HRT advice
- request a home visit
- book a ‘special appointment’
- joint injection
- contraceptive coil change
- contraceptive implant change
- discuss my medication as I think it needs changing
- ask for some medication that I haven’t had before
- ask for some medication that I have had before but isn’t on my repeat prescription
Urgent appointments
To request an urgent appointment for today or tomorrow (Monday to Friday) during opening times:
- phone us on St Chad’s 01761 413334 or Chilompton Branch Surgery 01761 232231 or Somerton House Surgery 01761 412141
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
To request a routine appointment in advance during opening times:
- phone us on St Chad’s 01761 413334 or Chilompton Branch Surgery 01761 232231 or Somerton House Surgery 01761 412141 for routine nurse procedures (eg. smear test, B12 injection, hormone injection or dressing change), routine annual reviews (eg. diabetes checks) or book a medical examination (eg. DVLA/ fostering/ work/ travel)
- use your NHS account (through the NHS website or NHS App) or SystmOnline to book an appointment, screening test or blood test
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.
Enhanced access
We offer additional evening and weekend appointments, for patients needing routine, bookable in advance, GP or Nurse appointments outside of normal GP Surgery opening times. This service is run in conjunction with BaNES Enhanced Medical Services (BEMS), our local GP Federation. Appointments are available between the hours of 6.30pm and 9.00pm on weekdays, and 9.00am to 13.00pm on Saturdays.
This service is located in different Practices throughout B&NES and is for non-urgent appointments only. The service operates from sites in Bath, and Midsomer Norton and Radstock area. In the Midsomer Norton and Radstock area, the service runs at Elm Hayes Surgery and Hope House Surgery. In Bath, the service runs from Bathampton Surgery, Combe Down Branch Surgery, Newbridge Surgery and St Michael’s Surgery.
Appointments are booked by via the practice team, who can book appointments directly into the this Enhanced Access service. When booking an appointment, we will ask if you consent for us to share your medical records with this service. Without this consent, the BEMS GPs and Nurses will have no access to your medical records.
For more information you can visit the BEMS Enhanced Access website here: https://www.bems.uk.com/aboutenhancedaccess
Ask your surgery receptionist for more details about what this service can offer or if you wish to book an appointment with this service.
Your appointment
However you choose to contact us, we may offer you a consultation:
- by phone
- face to face at the surgery
- on a video call
- by text or email
Appointments by phone, video call or by text or email can be more flexible and often means you get help sooner.
Making the most of your appointment
To find out about how you can make the best of your appointment please visit the NHS website where they have useful tips to help you.
Cancelling or changing an appointment
To cancel your appointment:
- phone us on St Chad’s 01761 413334 or Chilompton Branch Surgery 01761 232231 or Somerton House Surgery 01761 412141 during opening times
Even if you cancel with a short amount of time to go there is a good chance someone else will take your slot so please let us know.
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.
Home visits
Home visits are reserved for the following groups of patients:
- the terminally ill
- the housebound
- patients who are severely ill and cannot be mobilised
Asking for a home visit does not guarantee you a visit. If you feel you need the doctor to visit, please try to ring before 10am.
The doctor will phone you first to check the nature of your problem and assess the need for a home visit. It may be that your problem can be dealt with by telephone advice, or it may be more appropriate for us to ask the district nurse to visit, or for you to go to hospital.
The receptionist will always ask you the nature of the problem to aid the doctor to decide the urgency of the visit. If the situation changes while you are waiting for the doctor to phone or visit, then please ring the surgery again.
We cannot undertake home visits for reasons of convenience or lack of transport. From experience, we are aware that relatives, neighbours or friends are often willing to help out, and with our new same day access system we can see you the same day at the surgery if needed. At the surgery, we have access to all of your records and there are ideal facilities to examine and treat you more effectively and efficiently.
In the past, GP’s were able to do routine follow up home visits, but sadly due to increasing demand and time pressures this is usually no longer possible.