Patient Partner is our new telephone system that enables patients to book, check or cancel appointments 24hrs/day 365 days/year via their telephone hand-set. All that you need to use the new system is your date of birth and your telephone number.
This service is an add-on to our existing access arrangements for patients. Patients will be able to book appointments in person, on-line or via Patient Partner. We hope that by giving patients access outside standard surgery opening hours that this will reduce the surge of telephone requests that we get early on each morning. By using Patient Partner for standard appointment bookings you are freeing up the receptionist to speak to patients who need our help face to face. Patient Partner will be available for all standard GP appointments and for blood test and blood pressure checks with the healthcare assistant.
When you ring the surgery you will be presented with menu options to help direct you correctly. Please listen carefully to the available options. Our menu is being extended to enable faster routing of calls. Please listen out for the new options which will be available from early February 2013. These are:
Press 1 for the automated booking system
Press 2 if you have a medical emergency
Press 3 to request a repeat prescription or leave a message for the dispensing team
Press 4 to speak to a receptionist
Press 5 to speak to the practice secretary who is available 9am to 12 noon Monday to Friday