Appointments 

We offer a mix of pre-bookable and same day appointments.

Pre-bookable appointments:

Requests for pre-bookable appointments with the nursing team, practice pharmacists, first contact physiotherapist and social prescriber can be made at any time during our opening hours.

Routine appointments such as blood pressure or diabetic foot checks are available up to 6 weeks in advance and can either be booked in person at the reception desk or by telephone by calling 0116 2943100.

Same-day appointments:

Appointments with Clinicians are booked on the same day only. Phone lines open at 8am and we ask that you call before 12midday. Any requests for appointments after this time will only be accepted if they are medically urgent.

A clinician will return your call and, if you require a face-to-face appointment, this will be booked with the most appropriate clinician on that day.

Telephone consultation with your GP: For general enquiries such as to discuss on-going care or test results with your GP, we offer pre-bookable telephone appointments with your choice of clinician (where possible).

Booking appointments Online

Our practice offers online appointment booking for smear tests and flu vaccines. 

This service is available 24/7. To make use of this facility, you must be registered for online services and you will receive a unique username and password. To register, speak to a member of the Practice team.

AccuRx

You can now also access our clinical and admin team for any non-urgent medical or administrative problems through our online consultation service called accuRx. We will respond to your E Consult within 2 working days..

You can also access 24/7 NHS self-care advice through the AccuRx Portal. Simply click on the banner below.

Community Pharmacist Consultation Service

If it is likely that your symptoms or condition can be resolved through a consultation with the Pharmacist rather than a GP, you will be referred to the Community Pharmacist Consultation Service. When you call Charnwood Practice to make an appointment, the Practice team will advise if a referral to the community pharmacist may be appropriate for your medical need.

This service provides reduced waiting time for patients, flexible and convenient appointments, and appropriate treatment or signposting. 

Minor Illness Clinic

The Minor Illness Clinic has replaced the Sit & Wait Clinic. The key benefits to you, the patient, are:

• Reduced waiting time.
• More flexibility with pre-bookable on the day appointments available in both the morning & afternoon.
• The new Minor Illness clinic will be run by Clinical Practitioners with specialist knowledge in key Minor Illnesses areas.

How do I arrange an appointment in the new Minor Illness Clinics?

Appointments will be available to book from 8.00am on the day of the clinic. Please contact the surgery as soon as our telephone lines open on 0116 2943100 and wait to speak to a member of The Charnwood Team.

What conditions are suitable to be seen in the Minor Illness Clinics?

UPPER RESPIRATORY PROBLEMS: Cough/Cold/Sore Throat, Sinusitis, Ear Pain, Hay fever, High Temperature, Worsening Asthma/COPD.

GASTROINTESTINAL PROBLEMS: Diarrhoea & Vomiting, Constipation, Heartburn.

GYNAECOLOGICAL & URINARY PROBLEMS: Emergency Contraception Advice (including the Morning after Pill), Thrush, Urine Infections.

SKIN CONDITIONS: Eczema, Dermatitis, Fungal Infections, Impetigo and Nappy Rash.

Please note, the minor illness practitioners will not issue medication that can be bought over the counter at the local pharmacy.

Emergency Appointments

Urgent cases are reviewed by the On Call Doctor. They will either ask you to come down to the surgery immediately or arrange for you to come in later that day. Please be prepared to wait if the practice is busy on the day.

Emergency appointments telephone: 0116 2943100.

Late Evening Surgery

A mixture of appointments are available every Wednesday until 20:00.

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.

The musculoskeletal conditions self-management app has been developed to support patients by providing clear, accessible information about common MSK conditions, advice on how to manage an injury, along with exercise videos and links to useful websites to help with self-management. It also provides information on how to self-refer into MSK Physiotherapy and Podiatry services.

Home Visits

Whilst we encourage our patients to come to the surgery, where we have the proper equipment and facilities available, we do appreciate that this is not always possible.

In this respect, if you do need a home visit, you can help us by calling reception before 11:00.

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’ (see below) 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.

Statement of Fitness for Work - ’Fit Note'

The 'fit note' was introduced on 6 April 2010. With your employer's support, the note will help you return to work sooner by providing more information about the effects of your illness or injury.

For more information see the DirectGov website (where this information was sourced)