Important: Patient Notice
Important changes for Mountwood from Monday 21st October
Urgent Appointments
We now ask you to call (01923 828488) for urgent appointments between the following times:
8am to 11am in the mornings
2pm to 5pm in the afternoons
Outside these times, we will signpost you to other support, such as your local pharmacy and 111.
This is to enable safe working for our staff and patients. You will be aware of the intense pressure on General Practice. We need adequate time to manage patients safely, as advised by the recent BMA guidance. (News Article on BMA Guidance)
We look for your support in this important safety issue.
PATCHS
To further manage demand, PATCHS (our online form system) will remain open throughout the day. Appointment slots will now be staggered and released at intervals to provide fairer access for all patients. However, please note that the number of slots is still limited based on our capacity.
PATCHS is for NON-URGENT issues only.
PATCHS is NOT for prescription requests or queries.
If you are unable to access PATCHS, please contact Reception on 01923 828488
This extension of access to PATCHS should reduce the frustration expressed by our patients who were unable to access at 8am.
We welcome your constructive comments about these changes using our Patient Participation Group email address: MountwoodPPG@gmail.com
Use the Quick Links below or use the menu bar above for more information
Face Masks
The Practice is discontinuing the mandatory requirement for patients to wear face masks. However, if you attend the Surgery and are infectious we would like you to wear a mask to protect other patients. You will have to provide your own, as these items are no longer provided free by the NHS.
Core Hours
Please note that the ‘core hours’ for Mountwood Surgery are defined as 8:00am to 6:30pm, Monday to Friday (not including bank holidays), when the door to our Reception will be open.
Telephone Calls
Telephone calls to Mountwood Surgery during these ‘core hours’ will be triaged and patients may be asked to call back if the call is not urgent. Patients will be directed to contact 111 or 999 for medical emergencies.
Telephone Volumes
Note that during September 2024, Mountwood Surgery received 7561 telephone calls in and made 5004 calls out, with an average wait time of only 3 minutes 55 seconds.
We apologise in advance (and ask for your understanding) if you experience difficulty getting through to our small team, due to the significant volumes of calls made into and out of the surgery.
For non-urgent health issues please consider seeking advice from the NHS app, NHS website (www.NHS.uk), your local pharmacy or telephone 111
NHS Pharmacy First Scheme
Under the new NHS Pharmacy First Scheme, you can visit a Pharmacist to receive advice and treatment for some simple illnesses, instead of visiting your Doctor. This is to help patients access quicker and more convenient care, including the supply of appropriate medicines for minor illness.