Overview
We offer a range of appointments to meet your health needs throughout the working week, including GPs, Practice Nurses, Physiotherapist and Social Prescriber. We also offer eConsultations - please see GP Appointments or Non-Urgent Conditions for further information.
Appointments are available during our core hours of 08.00 to 18.00 Monday – Friday.
In addition, we offer a limited number of appointments during extended hours:
- Monday to Friday - 18:30 to 20:00 - Springs Medical Centre, Ilkley
- Saturday 9am – 4pm at Springs Medical Centre, Ilkley
Weekend telephone appointments with a Pharmacist are also available, please speak to Reception for further information.
Making an Appointment
There are three main ways of making an appointment:
- calling the practice on (01943) 604455 during normal surgery hours of 8am to 6pm.
- using eConsult (for routine matters) from our website
- signing-up for online services and booking an appointment through the SystmOnline link on our website or using an app on your smartphone or tablet. Going online is quick and easy and appointments are available 24 hours a day rather than just surgery opening times. Please note that this only covers GP appointments at present.
When booking an online appointment, please specify the reason for your request. This allows the team to ensure you are seeing the most appropriate person and also allows the clinician an opportunity to review your records to give the best possible advice and care at your appointment. We reserve the right to cancel online appointments that do not include a reason or some indication of why that appointment has been requested. Please also do not book consecutive (or so-called “double”) appointments. We reserve the right to cancel any such occurrences noted on the system.
Cancelling an Appointment
If you are unable attend a planned appointment, please cancel this as soon as you are aware by calling the surgery or cancelling online. Appointment slots are valuable and all missed appointments mean that another patient has been inconvenienced and a cost to the NHS.
GP Appointments
Reason for Your Appointment
To ensure you are seen by the most appropriate clinician and reduce delays, our reception staff will ask you the reason for the appointment when you call. Please do not be offended when the receptionist asks you for a few details about your problem, this information is treated in the strictest confidence and our trained staff will then navigate you to an appointment that best suits your needs.
Routine GP Appointments
We offer ‘routine’ appointments with a GP which can be booked by phone or online up to four weeks in advance. Appointments with a GP are for 10 minutes only and are restricted to the purpose for which the appointment was originally booked.
Urgent GP Appointments
Some ‘same day’ appointment slots are available for urgent cases where a patient needs to be seen quickly. Our On Call Doctor is always available during these hours to assess patients with urgent needs. Please call the surgery first thing in the morning if you need an urgent appointment.
Saturday Appointments
A limited number of GP appointments are now available on Saturday mornings between 09.00 – 11.00 at the local ‘Extended Hours Hub’ at Silsden & Steeton Medical Practice, Elliott Street, Silsden, BD20 0DG. Please note that these appointments can only be booked via a Receptionist and are not available online.
Telephone Consultations
We offer consultations by telephone for a GP to answer quick queries from patients which do not require a face-to-face conversation. Please note that these consultations can only be booked by telephone. The doctor will endeavor to call you back before 15:00. Please ensure you advise the Receptionist of the telephone number you wish the doctor to call you on.
eConsults
eConsult lets you consult with a GP by completing a quick online form that is sent via a secure email to the practice. This will be reviewed by a GP and you will receive a response within 48 hours. eConsult can also direct you to self-help, pharmacy advice and local self-referral services.
Home Visits
If you are unable to attend a surgery because you are housebound or feel too unwell, please call the surgery before 10:30 to arrange contact from one of the clinical team who will usually ring back to assess your medical needs and plan how we can address them. When you (or your carer) ring, you will be asked for details of the problem, for an up-to-date and reliable contact number and for any specific issues we should be aware of that may influence our ability to assess you (such as key codes for door entry).
Attending patients outside of the surgery premises is entirely appropriate in some situations and for some of our patients for whom access to timely medical care would not be possible. To ensure this resource is used appropriately, it is necessary to discuss most requests ahead of a team member visiting. This discussion ensures that appropriate time is set aside, so that the resulting consultation is safe and effective and takes place in the most appropriate setting with the most appropriate team member.
Out-of-Hours Service (18:00 to 08:00)
The local out-of-hours service also has capacity to see people at home or will arrange for you to be seen at one of their out of hours hubs. This is accessed via calling 111 or NHS111 online.
Practice Nurse Appointments
To ensure you are seen by the most appropriate clinician and reduce delays, our reception staff will ask you the reason for the appointment when you call. Please do not be offended when the receptionist asks you for a few details about your problem, this information is treated in the strictest confidence and our trained staff will then arrange an appointment that best suits your needs.
Please note that all nurse and other clinical appointments can only be booked by telephone at present.
You can make appointments with our Practice Nurses for a range of treatments and support, including:
- Immunisations (child, adult and travel)
- Health promotion and healthy lifestyle advice
- Asthma advice
- Diabetes advice
- Wound and dressings
- Checks for people with high blood pressure every six months
- Heart disease monitoring
- Family planning advice
- Cervical smears
- Ear syringing
- Overseas travel advice
- Blood tests
- Routine health checks
- Blood pressure checks
- Breathing tests
- Flu vaccinations
Please note the appointment duration may vary dependent upon the actual need.
Other Appointments
Social Prescriber (Tuesday and alternate Friday appointments)
If you are feeling stressed/lonely/anxious, want to be more active, meet new people, or perhaps need advice on issues like finances or housing, then our Social Prescriber can help.
This service directs people to relevant community services and support groups in order to benefit their overall health and well-being. Our Social Prescriber is based within the practice and can provide one-to-one support over the phone and face-to-face. If appropriate, they can also provide community visits.
The service is available to individuals aged 18+ who are registered with the practice. If you are not registered with a GP we can provide advice on how to register.
If you wish to use our service, you can self-refer by calling reception on 01943 604455.
Physiotherapist (Thursday clinics)
Patients contacting the practice with a new musculoskeletal problem will be offered an appointment with our Physiotherapist without needing to see a GP.
Our Receptionists, who have been trained as care navigators, will ascertain your needs when you first contact the practice. Patients presenting with a new musculoskeletal problem from a pre-determined list are offered an appointment with the Physiotherapist rather than a GP.
Our Physiotherapist has 30 minute appointments with patients. They have full access to a patient's medical record, making it easier for them to make a safe and accurate assessment, and allowing them to record the consultation directly in to the medical record. The appointment provides an assessment of the problem and advice on exercises and self-management. Where appropriate, the physiotherapist makes an onward referral for continuing therapy. They may also request a prescription via reception or refer back to the GP. Receptionists ensure this is handled in the most appropriate way.
Non-Urgent Conditions
A patient’s health and care needs can range from simple questions that are easily answered all the way to complex conditions that require immediate attention in an acute hospital. Wherever possible, we encourage patients to use self-care or use health services that are more suited to their need and which do not burden GPs unnecessarily.
If your condition is less serious or pressing, we would encourage you to consider alternative ways of seeking treatment in the first instance including:
- eConsult lets you consult with a GP by completing a quick online form that is sent via a secure email to the practice. This will be reviewed by a GP and you will receive a response within 48 hours. eConsult can also direct you to self-help, pharmacy advice and local self-referral services.
- The NHS.UK website provides a comprehensive guide to conditions, symptoms and treatments, including what to do and when to get help. This supports self-care and provides advice on living well, care and support services, and where to access a range of health and care services.
- All local pharmacies can assist patients with common, minor ailments (e.g. coughs, colds, sore throat, hay fever, diarrhoea, earache, skin rashes). Patients can receive over-the-counter medication from a pharmacist instead of attending the surgery. If you require repeat prescriptions, further information can be found here.
- For non-emergency situations, please call the NHS 111 service for help identifying which local health service can help you best. This could be A&E, an out-of-hours doctor, an urgent care centre or a walk-in centre, a community nurse, an emergency dentist or a late-opening chemist.
Evening and Weekend Appointments
We are now offering a number of extra routine appointments using the Extended Access Service available 7 days a week to better suit your needs. These new services will give you quicker access to the specialist advice and support you need.
Evening Appointments
We offer a limited number of appointments during extended hours:
- Monday to Friday - 18:30 to 20:00 - Springs Medical Centre, Ilkley
Saturday & Sunday Appointments
GP appointments are now available on Saturday and Sunday mornings between 09.00 – 11.00 at the local ‘Extended Hours Hub’ at Silsden & Steeton Medical Practice, Elliott Street, Silsden, BD20 0DG.
Pharmacists
If you want to discuss medication you are taking or need to have an annual medication review, our staff will direct you to a specialist Pharmacist who is best equipped to deal with these queries. Telephone appointments are available on specific weekends. Please speak to the Reception team for further information on how to book an appointment.
Please note any of the above appointments can only be booked via a Receptionist and are not available online.