Due to the significant increase in requests for clinical advice and follow-up outside booked appointments, this service has become unsustainable and is no longer manageable within our current capacity.

Going forward:

• Cold and flu symptom screening: Screening for cold and flu symptoms will remain free of charge when you have a booked appointment and need to be screened before attending, or when you are contacting us to arrange an appointment and have these symptoms. This is an important health and safety measure to protect our patients, staff and clinicians.

• Urgent appointments: If you require an urgent appointment, our nursing team will continue to triage your request at no charge. Please note that if your usual GP/NP has no availability, you may be offered an appointment with their locum or another available clinician. If your request is not assessed as clinically urgent, you will be offered the next available non-urgent appointment instead.

• Nurse call-back: If you would like to speak with a nurse for medical advice, you can request a nurse call-back. A fee applies for this service.

• GP/NP advice or queries: Requests to have a query or request for medical advice passed on to your GP/NP will now require a booked appointment. This can be either a phone or in-person consultation with your usual GP/NP or their locum.

• General medical advice: Alternatively, you can contact Healthline on 0800 611 116 for free, 24-hour health advice.

We appreciate that these changes may be different from what patients have previously been accustomed to. However, the volume of requests for advice and follow-up outside booked appointments has increased significantly and is no longer sustainable for our practice to manage safely and effectively.

Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.