Appointments

To seek medical help please use the askmyGP online tool or phone reception on 01963 250334. You will be asked to give a brief outline of the nature of your medical problem to help us direct you to the most appropriate member of our team. It is useful to specify any times that you may be unavailable so that the GP can ring at time that is convenient for you to accept the call.

Following this triage we are able to offer an appointment with the appropriate clinician for the appropriate amount of time having arranged appropriate tests and paperwork beforehand. We also find that many issues can be dealt with by a phone call alone and saves you a visit to the surgery.

If you want to contact a specific GP you will need to phone on the day that they are working 

For those who are unable to use this system, e.g. hard of hearing, please let the receptionist know and they will make alternative arrangements.

Please note that booking appointments to see a Nurse or HCA has not changed. These can be pre-booked in the usual way.

• Read our consent policy
• Find out about access to the surgery

In a number of cases it might be worth considering an appointment with a practice nurse rather than a doctor. Practice nurses are qualified to deal with many problems and you may be seen more quickly.

You must give your employer a doctor's 'fit note' (sometimes called a 'sick note') if you've been ill for more than 7 days in a row and have taken sick leave. This includes non-working days, such as weekends and bank holidays.

Visit our Sickness Certificates page

Information and advice for travelling abroad.

Visit our Travel Information page

Whilst we encourage our patients to come to the surgery where we have the proper equipment and facilities available, we do appreciate this is not always possible. If you do need a home visit, you can help us by calling reception before 10:00am. The doctors will usually phone you back to clarify the nature of the problem in order to allow them to bring the correct equipment and drugs with them.

Home visits are restricted to those who are housebound or are too ill to visit the practice.

If you are housebound, you can also be visited at home by a community nurse if you are referred by your GP.

All patients are entitled to have a chaperone present for any consultation, examination or procedure where they feel one is required. This chaperone may be a family member or friend. On occasions you may prefer a formal chaperone to be present, i.e. a trained member of staff.

Your healthcare professional may also require a chaperone to be present for certain consultations in accordance with our chaperone policy.

Milborne Port Surgery, Queen Camel Medical Centre, Bruton Surgery, Millbrook Surgery in Castle Cary and Wincanton Health Centre are now working collaboratively to offer appointments to their own and each other’s patients who cannot easily access primary care services during normal working hours. From October 2021 four of the practices in turn will again offer extra appointments with a health care professional between 6:30pm and 8:00pm Monday to Friday and Queen Camel will offer appointments (for all practices) between 9:00am to 10:30am on a Saturday morning. Millbrook Surgery will additionally offer appointments from 7:30am to 8:00am on a Tuesday morning. The appointments will be with the host practice staff, not necessarily your registered practice staff.

To book an evening or weekend appointment please contact your registered practice during normal opening times, this will help us to signpost you to the most appropriate option for your particular problem. By contacting us we can fully explain the process, to ensure that the booking is appropriate (as we hope to be able to meet your needs by offering an appointment with your usual GP) and cover all the relevant information (and consent) that we need to before we book an appointment for you.

You need to agree to your medical record being shared with the host practice who are providing your appointment. The clinician providing your appointment needs to have full access to your medical record. There is an opportunity to access same day appointment on a Saturday at Queen Camel Medical Centre. These are allocated on a first come first served basis by calling the practice.

Patients are reminded that the extension to routine GP services at evenings and weekends does not replace the current Somerset Out of Hours Urgent Primary Care Services. If patients or their family members become ill after 6.30pm or at the weekend and need medical advice or help outside of practice opening hours, they should continue to call NHS 111.

If you would like an appointment during one of these sessions, please contact your registered practice and request an “Improved Access” appointment. This is NOT a walk-in-service and anyone would turns up to a practice without a pre-booked appointment will be asked to contact the Out of Hours Service.

If you or somebody you are with becomes very unwell or has life threatening symptoms then please call 999.

If you have a non life threatening emergency please call NHS 111. It is fast, easy and free. A highly trained advisor supported by healthcare professionals will assess your symptoms and direct you to the best medical care for you.

Pharmacists are highly trained health professionals who are able to advise you on treatment for common problems and also help you to decide if you need to see a GP.