Appointments

You need an appointment to see any of the clinical staff. You can book in person or by telephone during our opening times.

Appointments are for 10 minutes. If you think you will need more time, then please ask for a double appointment (20 minutes). Each person will need their own appointment.

We will only carry out blood tests if requested by one of the doctors. You cannot ask for a blood test yourself.

Urgent (Same Day) Appointments

If you think your problem is urgent, we aim to give you an appointment on the same day. We offer same day appointments based on clinical need. This means you may not see the doctor of your choice. Please do not abuse this service as it delays us from seeing patients who are unwell.

Sick notes, repeat prescriptions and referrals are not suitable for urgent appointments.

Our reception staff will ask you for details of your problem. The doctors ask them to do this so they can prioritise same day appointments. All our staff must keep anything you tell them confidential.

Routine Appointments

For any problem that is not urgent, we will offer you the next available appointment. If you want to see a specific doctor then the wait time may be longer depending on the doctor's availability.

Evening and Weekend Appointments

The practice is a member of Gorton and Levenshulme Primary Care Network (PCN). The PCN offers appointments on weekday evenings from 6.30pm to 8.00pm and on Saturday mornings.

The PCN works with Central Manchester Networks to provide these appointments. The appointments are available at 3 practices in the PCN.

• West Gorton Medical Centre
• West Point Medical Centre
• Hawthorn Medical Centre

The appointment may be with a doctor you have not seen before. The doctor will have access to your medical record. We will receive details of your consultation.

Please ask the reception staff if one of these appointments would be convenient for you.

Practice Nurses and Healthcare Assistants

Not all problems need a doctor. Our reception team will offer you an appointment with the most suitable member of our team.

Cancellations

If you cannot attend your appointment then please inform us as soon as possible. This allows us to offer the appointment to someone else.

You can cancel an appointment in any of the following ways.

• Telephone us on 0161 223 1113 during our opening times.
• Visit the reception desk during our opening times.
• Use an online services website or app at any time. We recommend the NHS App. You can also use Patient Access.

Keep it or cancel it but please don’t waste it

Help With Problems That Are Not Medical

We have a Focused Care Practitioner based at the practice. They can support you with lots of health and social issues. This includes finances, benefits, family issues, mental health, housing and more. Focused Care Practitioners are very experienced in health and social matters. They will focus their support around your needs. Please ask the reception staff if you would like more details.

What To Do When We Are Closed

You can still get help and see a GP when we are closed. Please visit our page When We Are Closed for information.

You can also send us some requests online when we're closed. Visit our online consultation page using the banner link below to find out what we are currently accepting.

Home Visits

All home visit requests are subject to triage by one of our GPs. Please give the receptionist as much detail as possible.  Requesting a home visit does not necessarily mean that we will be visiting, we ask that you only ask for a home visit if your medical issue stops you from attending the surgery. The GPs will access your condition prior to contacting you regarding your request for a home visit.

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. In this respect, if you do need a home visit, you can help us by calling reception before 10:00. You will be asked for some information about your problem and also a telephone number at which you can be contacted.

You may only request a home visit if you are housebound or are too ill to visit the practice. Your GP will only visit you at home if they think that your medical condition requires it and will also decide how urgently a visit is needed. Please bear this in mind and be prepared to provide suitable details to enable the doctor to schedule house calls

You can also be visited at home by a community nurse if you are referred by your GP. You should also be visited at home by a health visitor if you have recently had a baby or if you are newly registered with a GP and have a child under five years.

Call 999 when the situation is critical or life threatening

Sickness Certificates

What is it?

Although commonly referred to as a sick note, the official name of the document issued by doctors is a Statement of Fitness for Work, or Fit Note. The statement can say that you are unfit for work for a given period, or that you are fit for work subject to certain changes, such as lighter duties or different hours.  If your employer is unable to accommodate the recommended changes then the note is treated as saying you are unfit for work.

Off work due to illness for up to seven days

For the first seven days of illness you have to self–certify your illness using an SC2 form. You can obtain this form from your employer or the HMRC website. We are unable to issue sick notes for periods of illness of less than seven days. If your employer or child’s school insists on a doctor’s note then this will be a private service which we make a charge for. See further information below.

Off work due to illness for more than seven days

If you’re off work sick for more than seven days your employer may ask you for a Fit Note. The note can be obtained from a healthcare professional who is allowed to sign it. If you have been ill for more than seven days and require a sick note then please use our online request form or call reception.

If you are off work due to a hospital admission, a sick note can be issued by the hospital to cover the period of time you were in the hospital. Once discharged, we can issue any further sick notes, based on your hospital discharge letter.

Request a Sick Note (using our online consultation service)

How to count sick days

When you work out the number of days that you’ve been sick, you need to count all the days in a row you’ve been sick, including days you don’t normally work such as weekends and bank holidays.

Return to work notes

You do not need to see us again to be signed fit to go back to work.

The fit note does not have an option to say that you’re fit for work. If we want to assess your fitness for work again, we will say this on your fit note.

Some employers have their own policies that require medical evidence that you are fit for work. If this is the case, your employer should help you arrange this privately with a healthcare professional or occupational health specialist. We cannot issue a fit note for this purpose.

Find out more on the NHS website

Private Certificates

If you need a note or certificate for periods of illness less than seven days then this is a private service and we charge for a private sick note. If your employer requests a report or further information about your illness then this is also a private service and the fee will depend on exactly what is requested. We will never give any information to your employer without your consent.