What happens when you contact us

Whether you use our online form or phone us, every request goes through the same process, so you get help from the right person as quickly as possible.

Urgent advice: If it is urgent

If you need help today and cannot wait for us to reply, call the practice on 01460 67763 or use 111 online. Call 999 if someone is seriously ill or injured, or their life is at risk.

1. Tell us what you need

The quickest way is our online form. It asks you to describe your problem in your own words. If you cannot go online, call us and a member of our patient services team will fill in the same form with you.

Using the online form if you can helps people who can only phone get through faster.

2. We review your request

A GP or another clinician reads every request. They decide how urgent it is and who is the best person to help. This might not be a GP: many problems are best dealt with by a nurse, pharmacist, paramedic or another member of our team. Find out more about who you might see.

3. We contact you

We will reply by text message, phone call or the NHS App. We will:

  • contact you the same day if your request is urgent

  • aim to reply by the end of the next working day if it is not urgent

We may:

  • book you an appointment, by phone, video or face to face

  • give you advice or information to help you look after yourself

  • send a prescription to your pharmacy

  • suggest another service that can help you faster, such as a service you can contact yourself or a pharmacy

  • ask you for more information, a photo, or a test such as a blood test first

Please keep your phone with you after sending a request. If we cannot get hold of you, we will try again.

Using our online form

Do

  • use it for new problems, follow-ups, medication questions, sick notes and admin requests
  • give as much detail as you can, including how long you have had the problem
  • tell us if you need an interpreter or have any communication needs

Don't

  • do not use it if you have chest pain, difficulty breathing or signs of a stroke – call 999
  • do not use it for anything that needs help before we can reply – call us or use 111
  • do not send the same request more than once – it will not be dealt with any faster

What counts as urgent

A problem is urgent if it needs to be seen today, for example a high temperature in a young child, a new and severe pain, or a sudden change in your mental health. Long-standing problems, routine reviews, repeat prescriptions and forms are not urgent.

If you are not sure, tell us in your request and we will decide.

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Page last reviewed: 22 October 2026