Appointments

Routine Appointments

Routine appointments can be up to a three week wait depending on patient specifications. Please book a routine appointment either via the 24 hour patient partner system, the online booking system or by phoning during opening times to speak with a receptionist.

Urgent / Duty Doctor Appointments

We have a duty doctor each day who will manage the flow of patients who feel they need to be seen by a doctor that day. To book an on the day urgent appointment please phone at 08:00 when the lines first open. 

Please bear in mind the surgery cannot predict the demand for the urgent / duty doctor appointments so there may be a wait of up to 60 minutes for these appointments. The appointments are a 5 minute appointment for ONE problem only.

Other Healthcare Professionals

In a number of cases it might be worth considering an appointment with another Healthcare Professional rather than a doctor. They are qualified to deal with many conditions and you may be seen more quickly.

General Information

Appointments are for ONE person / ONE problem only. If you need a longer appointment please discuss your request with the receptionist to book a double appointment; there could be a longer wait for a double appointment. 

Patients under 16yrs of age should be accompanied by an adult wherever possible.

Non-attendance for appointments is a constant problem and increases the wait for other patients to see the doctor. If you are unable to keep an appointment, please inform reception in plenty of time so that the appointment may be given to another patient.  If you turn up late for an appointment it will be up to the discretion of the doctor whether it is still possible for you to be seen as this may have an impact on other patients.

We always try to see patients at their appointed time but sometimes need to spend longer with patients than the allocated time; we appreciate your patience if there is some delay.

Appointment confirmations and reminders will be sent to your mobile phone by SMS text messaging service. Please ensure we have your up to date contact details on record.

We can arrange interpretation and translation services by telephone for patients who speak little or no English but please ensure that when you are booking your appointment you must advise the receptionist of this need and also request a double appointment.

If you require a face to face interpreter to be present during your consultation, this can be arranged but you will need to book your appointment at least two weeks in advance.  Alternatively, if you can bring someone along with you who can interpret for you, please do so. 

Cancellations

If you cannot attend an appointment for any reason please inform us as soon as possible in order for us to give the slot to someone else. Non attendance for appointments (DNAs) is a persistent problem and can severely affect the quality of care and speed of access and choice for our patients. Missed appointments will be regularly monitored by the practice manager.

Saturday Morning

We have some pre-bookable appointments on a Saturday morning.  These appointments must be booked via a receptionist. 

Missed Appointments at the Practice

Our Practice has an ever increasing amount of patients who fail to attend their appointments and who fail to contact the surgery in advance to cancel.

Due to the number of patients failing to attend appointments, it may be that you are not able to see the doctor on the day that you wish to.

Effects On the Practice

• An increase in waiting time for appointments
• Frustration on both staff and patients
• A waste of resources
• A potential risk to health of the patient

Home Visits

Bedwell Medical Centre - Telephone 01438 311130 

Roebuck Surgery - Telephone 01438 314519

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 10:00.

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.

Sickness Certificates

You do not require a doctor's sickness certificate for any illness lasting seven days or less. Your employer may however require you to complete a self-certification form (SC2) which is available from your employer or on the HMRC website.

Evidence that you are sick

If you are sick for more than seven days, your employer can ask you to give them some form of medical evidence to support payment of SSP (statutory sick pay).

It is up to your employer to decide whether you are incapable of work. A medical certificate, now called a 'Statement of Fitness for Work’ from your doctor is strong evidence that you are sick and would normally be accepted, unless there is evidence to prove otherwise.

You could also provide evidence from someone who is not a medical practitioner, e.g. a dentist. Your employer will decide whether or not this evidence is acceptable. If your employer has any doubts, they may still ask for a medical certificate from your GP.

Training Practice

We are an accredited training practice.

We accept training placements for:

• Medical Students
• ST1 doctors
• ST2 doctors
• ST3 doctors

ST1, ST2 and ST3 doctors are already qualified doctors. They are receiving further training to become a General Practitioner.

Medical Students

Medical students at the Bedwell & Roebuck Surgeries will be in their final year of study, meaning that if they are successful in their final exams they will become doctors that August. If you are seen by a medical student there will ALWAYS be one of our fully qualified GPs or nurse’s with them.

Patients often like to see students as they have much more time to talk (they have 30 minute appointments compared to 10 minutes for a GP).

GP Speciality Training / The Foundation Programme 

The Foundation Programme is a two-year training programme for doctors after leaving medical school.  It is designed to provide the trainees with a range of experience prior to choosing their area of speciality.

The ST2 (Year 2) doctors spend a 4 month period with us where they will see patients by themselves, however our fully qualified GP’s will always review them periodically during their clinic sessions. It is designed to give trainees a range of experience before choosing an area of medicine in which to specialise.

The ST3 (Year 3) doctors (previously known as Registrars) spend a whole year with us and have their own clinics to see patients. They will have weekly tutorials with our trainee GP and receive daily supervision.

Extended Access

Stevenage South PCN (for more information on SSPCN see Stevenage South PCN tab) offer an out of hours service for our patients:

M-F - 18:30 to 20:00 

Sat - 09:00 - 12:30

Sun - 09:00 - 12:30

Location: King George Surgery | 135 High Street, Stevenage, Herts SG1 3HT

This service offers additional Doctor, Advanced Nurse Practitioner, Clinical Pharmacist and other Healthcare Professional appointments outside of surgery hours.

These are for routine appointments only and can be booked by calling the practice in the usual way.

You will be asked if you are happy to give your 'Explicit Consent' to share your medical records when booking these appointments.  Unfortunately if you do not give your consent we are unable to offer you an appointment.

To book an Extended Hours appointment, please call reception.