Appointments

Before you book

There are many ways to seek advice from a Healthcare Professional. You may not need an appointment with a GP or in the surgery.

Do you need to see the GP?
Sometimes the GP is not the most appropriate Healthcare Professional to deal with your ailment. Please see the information about Who do I see?, which might help you decide whether a GP appointment is truly necessary or whether it might be better for you to see a Pharmacist, Optician, Dentist or other Healthcare Professional. You can even self-refer for some services without seeing your GP.

Did you know that your local pharmacy can help you with a lot of minor ailments; and a lot of treatments are covered by the Pharmacies.

Urgent appointments

For serious or life-threatening emergencies call 999 or for urgent medical queries call 111.

The Health Centre is equipped to treat minor injuries like small cuts and joint sprains. If the injury is more severe or may involve a broken bone, then you should attend the local minor injuries unit at your nearest A&E department (e.g. Furness General urgent treatment centre). In the event of poisoning or overdose please attend the local A+ E.

To request an urgent appointment for today or tomorrow (Monday to Friday):

• phone us on 01229 474526, Monday to Friday from 8:00am to 6.30pm
• visit the surgery and speak with a receptionist, Monday to Friday from 8:00am to 6pm

When you get in touch, we’ll ask what you need help with.

We will use the information you give us to choose the most suitable doctor, nurse or health professional to help you. All staff are governed by our confidentiality policy and will respect your privacy if you choose not to give us further details for the clinical team.

Routine appointments

Some Nurse Appointments are available to book online, to request a routine appointment in the next 7 days:

• phone us on 01229 474526, Monday to Friday from 8:00am to 6.30pm
• visit the surgery and speak with a receptionist, Monday to Friday from 8:00am to 6pm
• use your NHS login account (through the NHS website or NHS App) to book a screening test or vaccination

When you get in touch, we’ll ask what you need help with.

We will use the information you give us to choose the most suitable doctor, nurse or health professional to help you.

Evening and weekend appointments

Did you know we now offer clinic appointments at early morning, evening, and weekends?

In partnership with your GP, our Extended Access team are offering the below appointments over a weekend:

• Face to Face physical examinations (GP or paramedic)
• GP Telephone calls
• Healthcare assistant appointments (bloods/blood pressure etc)
• Nurse appointments (dressings, injections, ECG, cervical screenings)
• Pharmacists (BP/pulse, medication reviews)
• Acute MSK (soft tissue injuries, sports injuries etc)

You will be seen given a time slot in which the clinician will call you or see you at a designated surgery (this may not be your usual GP practice).

They have the facility to do electronic prescriptions to your preferred chemist.

Please ask at your surgery if you would like to book an early morning, evening, or weekend appointment.

Current locations are:

Alfred Barrow Health Centre – Duke St, Barrow-in-Furness LA14 2LB

Bridgegate Medical Centre – Winchester St, Barrow-in-Furness LA13 9SH

Duke Street Surgery – 4 Duke St, Barrow-in-Furness LA14 1LF

Norwood Medical Centre – 99 Abbey Road, Barrow-in-Furness LA14 5ES

Your appointment

However you choose to contact us, we may offer you a consultation:

• by phone
• face to face at the surgery
• on a video call
• by text or email

Appointments by phone, video call or by text or email can be more flexible and often means you get help sooner.

Cancelling or changing an appointment

To cancel your appointment:

• use your NHS account (through the NHS website or NHS App)
• phone us on 01229 474526, Monday to Friday from 8:00am to 6.30pm
• reply CANCEL to your appointment reminder text message

If you need help when we are closed

If you need medical help now, use NHS 111 online or call 111.

NHS 111 online is for people aged 5 and over. Call 111 if you need help for a child under 5.

Call 999 in a medical or mental health emergency. This is when someone is seriously ill or injured and their life is at risk.

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

Home visits

Home visits are for patients who are housebound or are too ill to visit the practice. You may also be visited at home by a community nurse, if you are referred by your GP. If you are housebound and need an appointment, we will do a home visit. We may phone you first to understand what you need.

To request a home visit, it’s helpful if you phone the practice as soon after 8:00am as possible and before 10am.

Waiting list helpline for referrals

There is now a direct contact service for patients who have been referred by their GP and are waiting to receive a hospital appointment, or those who have queries about their hospital appointments, or would like to have their hospital appointments expedited.

This service can be contacted directly by calling Tel: 01539 716998 – option 2 (no need for your GP to do this for you) or by email patientchoice@mbht.nhs.uk

Who do I see?