You said: "The practice is let down by difficulty making an appointment by telephone" (Practice Questionnaire, 2018).

We listened: The practice's partners have purchased a new telephone system, which became operational on 19th July 2018.

This means:

  • We can handle more calls at a time;
  • If all our phone lines are busy, your call may be placed in a queue;
  • Your call may be recorded for training & monitoring purposes.

The initial feedback from our patients has been generally positive, as there is no longer an engaged tone when our receptionists are busy with other calls

The queuing system should make the allocation of on-the-day appointments as fair & efficient as possible - please ring after 9:30am if you need anything else.

Unfortunately, no telephone system can change the fact that despite offering as many appointments as possible, we do not have unlimited availability.

Our receptionists are now trained in Active Signposting to help patients get the right care, in the right place at the right time; for example:

  • Attending the walk in centre in Ormskirk is often an appropriate alternative to a GP appointment;
  • Some patients require emergency assessment by the ambulance service;
  • Some problems can even be managed without a GP appointment.

If you are ever unsure which part of the NHS to use, the 111 telephone service has been commissioned to offer an alternative source of urgent advice.