Appointments

Registration

When you register with us, you’ll be assigned a GP, but you are welcome to see any doctor. For ongoing or long-term health issues, it’s often best to see the same doctor for continuity of care.

Making an Appointment

At Berinsfield Health Centre, we use a same-day GP appointment system. When you need to see a GP, you will first have a telephone consultation with one of our doctors. If needed, they will arrange a face-to-face appointment, usually on the same day.

The easiest way to request an appointment is online. If there are no online slots available, please call our Patient Support Assistants on 01865 340558. We will arrange your GP appointment for that day whenever possible.

Patient Support Assistants

Our Patient Support Assistants are here to help you book appointments, answer queries, and guide you to the right care.

They work under strict confidentiality rules, just like doctors and nurses.

They may ask for a few details about your problem so they can help you get the right care as quickly as possible.

They do not decide how urgent your problem is, that’s for the clinician but they can offer you the best options if they understand your needs.

Home Visits

Home visits are decided by the GP after a phone consultation.

Sometimes, a paramedic from the Home Visiting Service may visit you instead of a GP. The paramedic will update your GP about any care or treatment provided.

Nurse Appointments

Nurse appointments can be booked in advance, and some are reserved for urgent problems.
Our practice nurses can help with:

• Minor injuries (e.g., cuts, sprains) and dressings
• Routine reviews of stable long-term conditions (e.g., high blood pressure, diabetes, asthma, COPD)
• Cervical smears
• Immunisations
• Blood tests
• Health checks
• Smoking cessation
• Dietary/weight loss advice
• Family planning advice
• Travel advice and immunisations
• Removal of sutures
• Other tests and procedures your doctor may recommend (e.g., lung function testing, ECG)

Healthcare Assistant Appointments

Our healthcare assistant, Lucy Knight, runs clinics Monday to Friday. She can help with:

• Blood tests
• Health checks
• Smoking cessation advice
• Some other tests your doctor may recommend

Chaperones

If you would like a chaperone present during your consultation, please let us know and we’re happy to arrange this.

More information about our chaperones policy can be found here – Chaperone Information for Patients « Berinsfield Health Centre

Cancelling Appointments

If you no longer need your appointment, please let us know as soon as possible so we can offer it to someone else. To cancel, call the Health Centre and select option 1 to speak to a Patient Support Assistant.