Appointments

When booking your appointment

When you get through to a member of our team they will ask you a series of questions to identify the main reason(s) for you requesting an appointment (also known as non-clinical triage).  We will use the information you give us to choose the most suitable doctor, nurse or health professional to help you. Our reception and telephone staff, like all members of the team, are bound by confidentiality and all information provided by you is treated strictly in confidence. If you are speaking to a member of our team in person then you can ask to speak to them in private, e.g. away from the reception desk. 

We are able to offer a Sign Language Translation service during your appointment. please advise the practice in advance.
Both practices have a hearing loop service to support you. We also have a portable device for use in appointments.
If you would require a translator in your appointment, please advise the practice in advance.

Urgent appointments

To request an urgent ‘on the day’ appointment for (Monday to Friday):

  • phone us on 0151 902 0010, Monday to Friday from 8am to 6.30pm
  • visit the surgery and speak with a receptionist, Monday to Friday from 8am to 630pm

When you get in touch, we’ll ask what you need help with (non-clinical triage).

We will use the information you give us to choose the most suitable doctor, nurse or health professional to help you.  Please note, the most suitable health professional and/or service may not be based in our practice and therefore you may be signposted or referred elsewhere, for example the walk-in-centre.

If, following non-clinical triage, your request is deemed to be urgent and suitable for general practice and if we have an on-the-day appointment available, then you will be offered this with the most appropriate clinician.

If there are no appointments available and your reason is assessed as being urgent then your request will be communicated to the ‘on-call’ clinician.  The ‘on-call’ clinician will make direct contact with you over the telephone in the first instance and undertake a clinical triage with the outcome being one of the following:

  • Complete your request remotely (either over the telephone and/or video)
  • Invite you in on the day to see the ‘on call’ clinician face-to-face.
  • Book you in for a future face-to-face appointment. 

Our ‘on-call’ service is operational between 8am and 630pm, Monday to Thursday and 1pm to 630pm on Fridays.

Routine appointments

To book a (non-urgent) routine appointment in the next 14 days you can:

  • use the online consultation service called PATCHS and speak directly to our clinicians.  Please note, you have to firstly register to use this service and you can do this by clicking here.
  • use your NHS account (through the NHS website or NHS App) to book specific appointments (e.g. smear, NHS Health Check, vaccination etc)
  • Phone us on 0151 902 0010, Monday to Friday between 8am and 630pm
  • visit the surgery and speak with a receptionist, Monday to Friday from 8am to 6pm

When you get in touch, we’ll ask what you need help with (non-clinical triage).

We will use the information you give us to choose the most suitable doctor, nurse or health professional to help you.  Please note, the most suitable health professional and/or service may not be based in our practice and therefore you may be referred elsewhere, for example community pharmacy.

Your appointment

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

  • by phone
  • face to face at one of our two locations
  • via video call
  • by text or email (e.g., a remote consultation)

Appointments by phone, video call or by text or email can be more flexible and often means you get help sooner.  Please note, our clinicians will only make two attempts to call you via phone and/or video call and if they cannot connect with you then we will treat this attempt as a Did Not Attend (DNA).

All face-to-face appointments are 15 minutes in duration.

All telephone and video appointments are 10 minutes in duration.

If you feel that you may need more time to discuss your issues then please ask for an extended time period/appointment either in person or on the telephone.

Cancelling or changing an appointment

To cancel your appointment:

  • use your NHS account (through the NHS website or NHS App)
  • use the PATCHS system
  • phone us on 0151 902 0010, Monday to Friday from 8am to 6.30pm
  • reply CANCEL to your appointment reminder text message

If you need help when we are closed

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 need or would like a chaperone
  • if you have any other access or communication needs

Home visits

We provide a home visit service Monday to Friday, between 8am and 630pm.

If you are housebound and need an appointment you will need to contact us by phone on 0151 902 0010.  To help us plan our day effectively, where possible, please ensure you call us as soon after 8am as possible and ideally before 11am.

Our telephone staff will ask you a series of questions whilst completing a home visit triage for our clinicians.  A clinician will then contact you by phone to understand your needs and the outcome will be one of the following:

  • Complete your request remotely (either over the telephone and/or video)
  • Indicate a time that day to come and see you in your home.
  • Book you in for a future date for a home visit with themselves or a different health professional.
  • Refer you to an external service (e.g., District Nurses)

If you need help with your appointment

Routine Appointments

There are appointments available between 630pm and 8pm, Monday to Friday and between 9am and 5pm on Saturdays.  These appointments are referred to as enhanced access appointments and are available across various locations in Knowsley.  If we have no appointments available but your clinician would like you to be seen face-to-face, you may be offered an Enhanced Access appointment elsewhere in the Borough to ensure you can be seen.

Urgent

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.

Emergency

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