01323 502200 (tel) 
01323 500527 (fax)
How Do I...?
- Make an appointment to see a Doctor or Nurse
- Make an emergency appointment
- Contact Medical Services outside the practice opening hours
- Order a repeat prescription
- Speak to a Doctor or Nurse on the telephone
- Arrange for a GP to visit me at home
- Obtain test results
- Make a complaint
- Pass on a compliment
- Arrange travel vaccinations
- Arrange for my child to have baby vaccinations
- Check my blood pressure without making an appointment
- Contact the district nursing team
- Contact the audiology department
- Remember when your appointment is
- Write it down!! We receive many phone calls everyday from patients who have forgotten when their appointments are
- Cancel any appointment to see a Doctor or Nurse if it is no longer required. Please ALWAYS cancel unwanted appointments by telephoning the surgery or calling at the Reception Desk and where possible allow us enough time to re-use the appointment.
If you need a doctor urgently for a condition that cannot wait until surgery re-opens, please telephone the surgery as normal. A recorded message will tell you what number to ring for the doctor on call. Please listen carefully to the whole message.
Out of hours calls should be used for urgent problems only. Many things can wait until surgery re-opens.
Please do not go to the Accident and Emergency at hospital unless it is a genuine accident or emergency. If you are in doubt, NHS Direct can give advice on many things which may save a call to the doctor or an unnecessary trip to the hospital.
The telephone number and on-line address for NHS Direct is:
- Tel: 0845 4647 Web: www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk
Out of hours is commissioned by NHS East Sussex Downs & Weald PCT. Out of hours service is provided by South East Health (tel: 03000 242424) as follows:
- Monday to Friday, 18,00 - 08.00
- From 18.00 Friday to 08.00 Monday
- Our local walk in centre is open 7 days a week 08.00 - 20.00.
- Eastbourne Railway Station - Telephone: 01323 726650
- Call 999 in an emergency. Chest pains and / or shortness of breath constitute an emergency
5. Speak to a Doctor or Nurse on the telephone
Please telephone the surgery and ask to speak to your GP’s Secretary, who will take a message and ask the GP or Nurse to return your call.
6. Arrange for a GP to visit me at home
Please telephone as early in the day as possible. Requests will normally be handled by the Practice Manager or Office Manager.
It is preferable for patients to attend the surgery wherever possible, but the GPs will visit where there is a genuine need to do so. However, lack of transport is not a reason for a visit in itself.
7. Obtain test results
Blood Tests / Urine / Stool Sample Test results will normally be available 2 days after the sample has been handed in/ given. Please note that we can only access test results after 2.00pm
Results from investigations undertaken at the DGH (e.g. X rays / scans) will not normally be available for 3-4 weeks after the investigation. Again, we can only give these out after 2.00pm. If the Clinicians are in any way concerned about test results, they will contact you as soon as they view the result.
If any tests (x-rays, scans or blood tests etc.) have been requested by hospital personnel (even if the test was completed at the surgery) the result will go back to the requesting physician and the result is available from them.
8. Make a complaint
We much prefer to seek to diffuse a situation before it becomes a complaint. Please always speak to your GP, or to Alan Packard, the Practice Manager, if you are unhappy about any aspect of the service we deliver.
If you are still dissatisfied at this stage, please put your complaint in writing, addressed to the Practice Manager, who will arrange for a full review to be undertaken in line with the NHS Complaints Procedure.
9. Pass on a compliment
Please write or speak to the Practice Manager. We like to receive compliments!
10. Arrange Travel Vaccinations
You will need to arrange an Appointment with one of the Practice Nurses to discuss this face to face. It is not appropriate to deal with this by telephone.
11. Arrange for my child to have baby vaccinations
A Drop in Clinic is held every Monday afternoon between 2.00pm and 3.30pm. No appointments are necessary, and patients are seen on a first come first served basis.
12. Check my blood pressure without making an appointment
There is a patient friendly machine in our waiting room. You will be asked to hand your result to the Receptionist, who will arrange for it to be reviewed by the Nurse. If there are any problems or concerns, the Nurse will contact you.
13. Contact the district nursing team
Telephone 01323 514870.
An answering machine will normally be in operation. If you leave your name and telephone number you will receive a call back from them when the next available nurse is on the premises.
14. Contact the audiology department
Please telephone 01323 413783.