Appointments and Opening Hours

Making an appointment

Our practice has a range of skilled health professionals. This includes GPs, advanced nurse practitioners, podiatrists, physiotherapists, mental health workers and social prescribers.

When you call the practice, please be prepared to give a brief and confidential description of your symptoms. Our team are fully trained in triage so they can help you to see the right health professional for your needs.

We are now offering a mixture of online, telephone and face to face appointments, depending on your needs.

• The Practice offers a selection of pre-bookable appointments weeks in advance for non-urgent medical needs please. You can call us on 0191 455 4621 anytime of the day during our opening hours to book one of these.
• For urgent appointment you will need to contact Reception, on 0191 455 4621 at 8am, Monday to Friday. If there are no urgent appointments left for that day Reception will signpost you to a relevant service. This could be either a local Pharmacy or NHS 111.
• Our Practice also offers a range of late evening and weekend appointments for patient who are unable to attend during normal business hours. If you would prefer one of these appointments, please let the Receptionist know when you are calling (Please bare in mind you may be offered an appointment at another surgery in South Tyneside)
• For home visits, please contact the Practice on 0191 455 4621 before 11am. Once the Receptionist has taken your request you will receive a call from the GP to triage your request, the GP will then give you a time frame on the same of arrival for the visit if required.
• For a medical emergency such as chest pain, a stroke or major bleeding, please call 999.
• If the surgery is closed, and you need medical help fast, visit www.111.nhs.uk or call 111. Calls are free from landlines and mobile phones.
• To order a prescription, please call our 24-hour prescription line on 0191 427 3140.
• If your call is about a letter, medical notes, a report, or following a referral, please call the secretarial team on 0191 283 2678.

Appointment Cancellations

If you are no able to make or require your appointment, you can cancel this easily via the NHS app or alternatively by replying to your appointment reminder text with “CANCEL”. Or you can ring Reception to cancel.

Other Services

There are many services, like physiotherapy or mental health support, which you can access without seeing a GP first.

• For mental health support, you can call the lifecycle service on 0191 283 2937.
• Physiotherapy can also be arranged directly by calling 0191 481 3902.

You can also visit www.nhs.uk for advice on common symptoms and a list of local services, or speak to your pharmacist for advice on minor illnesses. You can find your nearest pharmacist on the NHS website.

Our opening hours

Monday               8am – 7pm (Telephone lines only open until 6pm)

Tuesday               8am – 7pm (Telephone lines only open until 6pm)

Wednesday        8am – 6pm

Thursday             8am – 6pm

Friday                    8am – 6pm

Saturday              8am – 12:45pm (for pre-booked appointments only, telephone lines will not operate on Saturdays)

Sunday                 Closed

Bank Holidays: (The surgery will be closed on all of the below dates)

2024

• Early May Bank Holiday – Monday 6th May
• Late May Bank Holiday – Monday 27th May
• August Bank Holiday – Monday 26th August
• Christmas Day – Wednesday 25th December
• Boxing Day – Thursday 26th December

Out of hours appointments

We work with other local practices in South Tyneside to offer early morning, evening or weekend appointments for patients who need them. Please ask for one of these appointments if these times are more suitable for you.

If the practice is closed

If the practice is closed and you need urgent care, please visit 111.nhs.uk (for age 5+ only) or call 111.

Caring for minor ailments at home

A lots of minor of illnesses and symptoms can be treated at home with a well-stocked first aid kit.

If you’re struggling or feeling anxious, you can get free online support and counselling at www.qwell.io (age 24+) or www.kooth.com (10 – 25).

Pharmacists

Your local pharmacist is highly trained and provides free, confidential advice on minor illnesses from sickness and diarrhoea to hay fever. Pharmacies also have a quiet area for consultation if you need to speak to someone in private. Find a pharmacy near you.

For many common illnesses, if the pharmacist feels you need medicine, they can provide it without you seeing your GP first. If you don’t normally pay for prescriptions, this will be free (you will need to confirm that you are entitled to free prescriptions).