Making an appointment (Routine or Urgent)
Most appointments are routine, which means they are booked in advance and not intended for same-day use. Urgent appointments, on the other hand, are typically seen either the same day or within 48 hours. The process for booking these appointments is now the same. However, make sure to log any urgent requests before 12pm on the day. To book an appointment, we are now using a new online consultation solution called PATCHS, and if you have access to the internet, you should submit a request to us via PATCHS.
PATCHS is a new and easy-to-use tool that GPs nationwide have specifically created to improve access to healthcare. With PATCHS, you can conveniently contact the practice online by filling out a short online form from the comfort of your own home and avoid long call queues. This form will ask you a short series of questions you can answer in your own words, which, once completed, will come straight through to us.
Once you have submitted your request, please await our reply. We will contact you back, and if an appointment is required, you will receive an appointment booking link that allows you to select the time and date that’s most convenient for you.
Home visits
Home visits are intended for people who are housebound or too ill to travel. If you are unable to attend our Moor Park or Whitegate Drive sites and require a home visit, please contact the practice before 11 am on 01253 201688. Our receptionists will ask you for some brief details about your condition to assess the urgency of your request. The visiting doctor will then contact you by phone to determine if a visit is necessary.
Cancelling or changing an appointment
Unfortunately, many appointments are wasted when patients do not attend. This limits the number of available appointments for other patients who need them. If you are unable to make your appointment time, it is important that you cancel it as soon as possible. You can cancel your appointment by:
- Via PATCHS– You can view your appointments from the Appointments tab on the ‘My Requests and Messages’ page. Click on the appointment and select cancel.
- Via Telephone – Call us on 01253 201688 and use our automated appointment check or cancel service. This service can be used at any time, even if we are closed. You can only cancel appointments up until 2 hours before your appointment time. Alternatively, you can speak to a member of our reception team during our opening hours.
- Via Email – Email us 24 hours in advance (lscicb-bl.glenroyd@nhs.net).
Patients who do not show up for their appointments waste valuable time for healthcare providers and significantly contribute to the shortage of available appointments for other patients. To avoid this issue, patients will receive a warning for every appointment they miss. If they continue to miss appointments, they may be removed from the practice.
If you cannot attend your appointment, please cancel it as soon as possible to allow other patients to book the available slot.
Evening and weekend appointments
Our practice is working together with North Shore Surgery to offer patients evening and weekend appointments.
From 1 October Blackpool North Primary Care Network, groups of General Practices working together to deliver key health and care services, will be increasing access to pre-bookable, routine appointments at evenings and weekends.
Enhanced access appointments may include services like cervical screening, childhood vaccination clinics and health checks. People will be able to see a member of the general practice team, a GP, nurse or other health professional.
The appointments offered via enhanced access will be held at Whitegate Drive Health Centre and may be with a different clinician than usual. This clinician will have access to your health records and will be able to treat you in the same way as we would.
You can access these appointments by calling our appointments line.
If you need help with your appointment
Please tell us:
- If there’s a specific doctor, nurse or other health professional you would prefer to respond.
- If you would prefer to consult with the doctor or nurse by phone, face-to-face, by video call or by text or email.
- If you need an interpreter.
- If you have any other access or communication needs.
