If you wish advice from a doctor but do not feel a face to face appointment is necessary, please telephone leaving a message with the receptionist and the doctor will try to return your call later the same day. Please leave a brief description of your query unless you feel it is too personal to do so. The doctor on-call that day deals with any urgent telephone advice requests.

We are in the process of introducing telephone consultations which will enable you to speak to a doctor at an allocated time. You may be called any time from ten minutes before to twenty minutes after the alloted time, although we will endeavour to phone on the allocated time. You MUST keep the phone line free to receive the call. If a doctor is unable to get through due to an engaged line or no reply, this will be treated as a missed appointment and will have to be rearranged.

Telephone consultations are usually best suited to conditions about which you have previously consulted the doctor. Other subjects which would be ideal for a telephone consultation include:

• Medication queries
• Minor illness advice
• Discussion of results or hospital letters
• Depression review if recommended by the doctor at a previous face to face consultation

Any condition that requires examination is not appropriate for telephone consultation.