Our local NHS system, NHS Surrey Heartlands, would like to share some information with our patients about how we, along with the other practices in the area are working to provide quality care and support to our patients:
Ensuring people in Surrey Heartlands have access to high quality care and support from their GP surgery is a key priority for both NHS Surrey Heartlands and your surgery. Staff teams across the area are working incredibly hard as they continue to see more patients than ever before.
In the 12 months to October 2022, GP surgeries in the area offered more than 5.4 million appointments – nearly 8% more than the year before. Of those, 4.5 million took place within 14 days – that’s four for every patient registered at a GP in Surrey Heartlands. Over half (2.7 million) took place within a day.
Our GP practices are committed to seeing patients as quickly as they can, but they do vary because of the population they serve. For example, patients with long-term conditions or those who live in residential and nursing homes are likely to need appointments booked further in advance. Likewise, appointments for immunisations, cervical screening or travel vaccinations may also be booked in this way.
A great deal of work is already underway to make it easier for people to access the support they need. This includes expanding the team working in GP surgeries to include more pharmacists, paramedics, physiotherapists and many other specialist roles that provide help and advice.
GP surgeries also have appointments available outside the main surgery hours of Monday to Friday, 8-6pm. These may be at your surgery or another location in your local area, giving you additional support from the team 6.30pm to 8pm Monday to Friday and between 9am and 5pm on Saturdays.
Although GP surgeries are busy, help is always available so if you need an appointment or need advice, please do contact the surgery – either through this website, by telephone or in person.
Finally, please can we ask you to be kind to staff at your surgery. They are working hard to ensure you and the rest of the patients receive safe, quality care and support within a pressured NHS this winter. They deserve to come to work without fear of violence, abuse, harassment or discrimination from patients or their relatives.
About Surrey Heartlands Health and Care Partnership
Surrey Heartlands Health and Care Partnership is a group of health and care organisations working together – with staff, patients, their carers, families and members of the public – to transform local services and support people to live healthier lives.
Together we are known as an ‘Integrated Care System’ – partnerships where health organisations, the local authorities and others take a collective responsibility for improving the health of the local population, managing resources (including money) and making sure services are high quality.