To action – Updated messaging for your practice website and voicemails
With winter fast approaching we are keen to ensure that patients across north east London are receiving clear and consistent information about how they can access services out of hours.
It is really important that the information we provide patients with is as straightforward as possible and we have become aware of some inconsistencies with how we describe services to the public. This is especially important now that the GP Access Hubs numbers are no longer in use as we are still receiving a significant number of calls to these phone lines.
So we have developed some simpler messaging for your practice websites and voicemail messages covering how to access urgent and routine appointments out of hours, as well as promoting the use of pharmacies, NHS 111 and our local mental health crisis lines as alternatives to A&E.
Please use this messaging below to update your channels as appropriate – some sections will need to be localised to your practice.
We also have a range of downloadable resources which you can use to promote services in and out of hours including posters, leaflets, adverts for digital screens and videos, all of which are included in the toolkit attached.
Voicemail for when the practice is closed:
- Thank you for calling. We are open Monday to Friday from 8am – 6.30pm.
- We are currently closed but the NHS is here to help you.
- If your query is not urgent please call back when we are next open or visit our website for more information.
- If you can’t wait and urgently need to speak to a GP please use NHS 111 online at 111.nhs.uk or ring 111. They can provide advice and help you with booking an urgent appointment when the surgery is closed.
- Many local pharmacies are also open late and at the weekend to help with minor illnesses and you don’t need an appointment to be seen.
- If you need urgent mental health support contact your local mental health crisis line for free on (insert local line listed here). They are open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
Text for your website:
Your GP surgery should usually be your first point of content if you have particular concern about your health. Appointments are available 7 days a week, including in the evenings, on weekends and bank holidays. These appointments can be booked online or over the phone.
Appointments can take place by phone, video, or face-to-face depending on your preference and clinical need.
A range of healthcare professionals work at your practice and in the wider community to help you get the right care when you need it. This means you might be seen by a GP, but you could also be seen by another trained professional such as a practice nurse, community pharmacist, physiotherapist, or social prescriber.
Appointments out of hours
If you need an urgent appointment contact the practice during opening hours between Monday to Friday 8am to 6.30pm on [phone number] or fill out a form on our website.
When the practice is closed, please ring NHS 111 or use NHS 111 online and they can help you with booking an urgent GP appointment.
Routine and urgent appointments are provided in the evening and weekends.
You should only attend A&E if you need immediate care for something that is very serious or life-threatening. If your condition isn’t life-threatening, in many cases you could be seen faster by using other local services in your community.
If you feel unwell or have a minor injury, your local pharmacy can also offer advice and some medicines. Many pharmacies are open late and at the weekends, and you do not need an appointment to be seen. Find your nearest pharmacy.
If you live in Barking and Dagenham or Havering, you can also get help with minor injuries and illnesses at our community Urgent Treatment Centres at Barking Community Hospital and Harold Wood Polyclinic. These are open 8am-9pm, seven days a week. You can call NHS 111 to book an appointment or walk in and wait to be seen.
If you are feeling overwhelmed and need urgent help because you are worried that you might harm yourself or someone else, contact your local mental health crisis line. Trained professionals are there to help you 24 hours a day, 365 days a year by calling (insert local line listed here).
For more information on finding the right NHS help visit www.northeastlondon.icb.nhs.uk/urgentcare
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