Appointments

At Dr Maassarani and Partners we provide a wide range of appointments and appointment times including times outside of normal business hours.

How do I book an appointment?

In order to book an appointment with a clinician you should contact the practice anytime between 8am and 630pm (Monday to Friday) on 0151 902 0010.  Alternatively, you can book an appointment at reception.

We will strive to answer your telephone call as soon as practicably possible but please do bare in mind that the practice is experiencing an unprecedented level of demand, therefore you may experience a wait time.

For NON-URGENT medical issues you can submit an online consultation which will be reviewed and responded to within 10 working days.  To submit an online consultation click here.  

I am deaf and am unable to contact the practice by telephone; how do I book an appointment?

We have various ways in which you can book your appointment, these are as follows:

NHS App: you can download the NHS App from the internet by following https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-app/.  Once registered on the NHS App you have the ability to send the practice messages from the NHS App; your message will go straight into our computer system and a member of the team will see this and respond accordingly.

Email: if you are unable to use and/or access the NHS App then you can send an email request to Tower.Hill@nhs.net and request an appointment.  Our administration team access the practice emails regularly throughout the day and will respond to you via email.

Advocate: if you are unable to access the NHS App or contact us via email then we would recommend using an advocate, for example a family member, friend or a third party such as the Deafness Resource Centre.

The practice will arrange for an interpreter to support you during your appointment.  All  appointments will be for 20 minutes to facilitate your needs.

Why does the receptionist ask for the reason why I require an appointment?

When you get through to a member of our team they will ask you the main reason for you requesting an appointment.  Our telephone and reception team are members of the practice team and it has been agreed they should ask patients ‘why they need to be seen’.

Our reception and telephone staff are trained to ask certain questions in order to ensure that you receive the most appropriate medical care from the most appropriate health professional at the most appropriate time.

The receptionist and telephone team are asked to collect brief information from patients to help:

  • doctors prioritise house visits and phone calls
  • ensure patients receive the appropriate level of care
  • direct patients to see the nurse or other health professionals rather than a doctor where appropriate.

All administrative staff, like all members of the team, are bound by confidentiality rules:

  • Any information given by you is treated strictly confidentially.
  • The practice would take any breach of confidentiality very seriously and deal with it accordingly.
  • You can ask to speak to the receptionist in private, away from the reception desk.
  • However, if you feel your issue is very private and do not wish to say what this is, then this will be respected.

Will I be able to see a clinician face to face?

You will be given the choice as to whether you would prefer a telephone or face to face appointment, unless your request requires a physical examination (e.g. a lump).

Once we know what your reason for your appointment is then we will advise if your request can be best dealt with over the telephone (which will save you the time coming into surgery).

What type of appointments does the practice offer?

The practice offers a variety of appointments including the following:

  • Routine: these are pre-bookable appointments that are classed as ‘non-urgent’.  Routine appointments can be via telephone or face to face.
  • On The Day: these appointments are released on the day and are classed as ‘urgent’. On the day appointments can be via telephone or face to face.  These appointments do not apply to Practice Nurse appointments.
  • Home Visits: home visits are provided to patients who are housebound. All patients will be triaged initially by an administrator and a clinician prior to any visit taking place.

Extended Access Appointments

Knowsley CCG have provided an Extended Access service to cope with winter demand on   GPs. Extended Access appointments are additional appointments available at other practices and health care centres. Appointments are available during the day, evening and weekends but take place at other sites, not at Cornerways Medical Centre. If we have no appointments available but your clinician would like you to be seen face-to-face, you may be offered an Extended Access appointment elsewhere in the Borough to ensure you can be seen.

Double Appointments

If you feel that you may need more time to discuss all your issues then please ask for an extended time period/appointment.

 Chaperone during Appointments

You are entitled to have a chaperone present during a physical examination. Please ask at the time of your appointment.

 Preferred Practitioner

You or anyone that you authorise has the right to express your preference to be seen by a preferred clinician/practitioner.  The practice will make every reasonable attempt to fulfill your request based on availability of the clinicians. As a practice, we ask that such preference will be received in writing and will be recorded on your notes so that our team can easily identify this information.

 

Online Consultation (Admin Queries)

Contact our admin team with administrative queries such as sick note requests and acute medication requests, with a reply within 5 working days 

Online Consultation (Medical Issues)

For non-urgent medical issues with a reply within 10 working days.

Online Services

Order repeat prescriptions and access your GP records online via the NHS App.

Register

Register as a patient with the practice.