Appointments

Everest House Surgery uses a GP Led Triage system to ensure that patients receive access to the correct type of appointment in a timely manner.

Same day appointments are for urgent medical problems and not for repeat prescriptions, sick notes, or routine referrals.

​Please consider whether there are any other services that might be more appropriate before you contact the practice to request an urgent appointment. For example, you can contact your pharmacy about minor health problems; they will be able to answer any questions about your medicines and treatment. The NHS App, website and NHS 111 system are also available to guide you to alternative, appropriate sources of advice.

We understand that not all patients are comfortable in sharing information with other members of practice staff, we assure you that all our team are highly trained and treat all information in the strictest confidence. The information you give will be passed to our triaging clinician who will then advise on the appropriate course of action. This may be an urgent on the day appointment or it may be a referral to the Community Pharmacy Consultation Service, an appointment with one of our Paramedics or even an appointment with another of our Allied Health Professionals such as our First Contact Physiotherapist.

The practice also has access to minor illness and injury services at St Albans hospital and a limited number of appointments at another local surgery.

​How to book an appointment?

We assess and triage all patient requests for an appointment based on clinical need. This is to ensure that patients get the appropriate care that they require. Patients with an urgent need or patients that wish to book a routine appointment are all asked to complete an eConsult form providing their GP with the clinical information needed to assess their symptoms.

As we operate named GP lists all eConsult forms, other than those requiring on the day attention, are sent to your own GP for review. They will then contact you to provide you with an appointment or advise you of a treatment plan based on the information submitted in your form.

If you are unable to complete an eConsult please contact the practice by phone where our staff will be happy to assist you in completing a form.

If you are having trouble accessing the NHS app or Patient Access, please make sure you are registered for online services.

An e-Consult form can also be used for administrative requests. This form provides the GP with a lot of the information they will need to provide advice. Please click HERE to submit an e-Consult form.

We have a limited number of blood test appointments available to book online, these appointments are for bloods which have been requested by the GP.

Due to the complexity and variety of nursing appointments, we are unable to offer these online. If you require a nurse appointment, please ring the surgery and book via our Reception team.

How our triage system works

Patients requesting an urgent on the day appointment will be put onto the GP Triage list. To do this, the receptionist will need to ask you a series of questions.

Based on this information, the GP will decide on the type of appointment that should be offered to you, or, if an alternative is better suited i.e. a prescription for antibiotics.

A member of our Administration team will either text or call you with the GPs decision.

Emergencies

If the patient is suffering from any of the following dial 999 immediately:

• Severe chest pains, sweating, clamminess, pain radiating down left arm.
• Unconscious/collapsed.
• Turning blue.
• Head Injury.
• Bleeding profusely.
• Weak and floppy with a rash (especially if child).

Cancel Appointments

If you need to cancel your appointment there are several ways to do this:

• Follow the link in your appointment reminder text message. Please note that not all appointments receive a reminder message.
• Cancel via online services e.g. NHS App.
• Contact the surgery.

​Please give us as much notice as possible so that the appointment may be used for another patient.

Additional GP Appointments – Extended Access

Dacorum Extended Access offers a GP Service to patients throughout the weekdays from 16.00 to 21.00, Saturdays from 9:00-13.00 and 14:00-18:00 and Sundays from 09:00 -13:00. This is an appointment based primary care service and can be booked via our Reception team.

Appointments are either telephone or face-to-face, this will be confirmed when the appointment is booked.

These appointments are generally available at Highfield Surgery and West Herts Medical Centre. The GPs have full access to your medical notes and will update them appropriately following your consultation.