Appointments

Routine appointments with the doctor are for ten minutes and for one ailment. This means that they have time to listen to what you have to say, take details of how long it's been going on and what else is happening that might be causing the problem. Then, you may need to be examined, a test may be needed and you may need a prescription. All of this needs the ten minutes allocated to you.

For more than one problem, ask the receptionist to book a double appointment.

Please don't bring the rest of your family for the same appointment time with the doctor. Patients who come in and stay longer than their allotted time keep others waiting past their appointment time.

We are aware that patients are often told by the hospital to 'get a letter from the GP' so that their appointment can be expedited. This is in fact unnecessary and creates an additional administrative burden on already stretched GP services.

As already indicated above, hospitals are contractually obliged to communicate directly with patients and respond directly and appropriately to their queries, including specifically questions about appointments. Failure to do so represents a breach of their contract.

Please be aware that simply waiting a longer time than you would wish does not make your request urgent. Unfortunately, in the current situation, everyone is waiting longer. We cannot write letters to expedite your appointment for this reason.

If, however, your condition is actively deteriorating, we advise you to speak to your specialist so that they can assess if you need to be seen sooner. We do find that an initial response might still be 'get a letter from your GP', however we are finding that we are merely reporting exactly what you have told us and it seems more sensible for patient and consultant to have a direct conversation. Should you continue to have difficulty in accessing your consultant, we advise that you contact the PALS department of the hospital for advice and assistance.

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

• by phone
• face to face at the surgery
• by text or email

Appointments by phone, by text or email can be more flexible and often means you get help sooner.

Please let us know if you cannot keep your appointment so that we can offer it to someone else.

To cancel your appointment:

• use your NHS account (NHS website or NHS App)
• phone us: 01295 758372 weekdays between 8am and 6:30pm
• reply CANCEL to your appointment reminder text message

Positive changes to the way we do Annual Reviews

We want our patients to know we are changing the way we do annual reviews by using a system called Medlink. We have considered long and hard how to deal with the confines of the building and the pressure it applies to our staff and patients. We were also concerned that our recall strategy was not robust and some patients are called in more than once as they have more than one condition and we needed something streamlined and more of a ‘one stop shop’.  We have also become aware from patient feedback that many patients are well, have no issues with their medication and are very happy to continue as they are, as long as we are also happy and have checked up on their progress.  We have therefore looked at a way of ensuring we check on all our long-term condition patients annually and ensure those patients who need more intervention are prioritised and are only called into the surgery once.

We have therefore chosen MedLink, which is an easy-to use online system that helps patients stay on top of their health from their own home. It helps in the management of long-term condition such as diabetes, asthma, hypertension (and many more) and we think that MedLink makes the process simpler and more convenient.

How does it work?

The surgery identifies patients who are due for a review and MedLink sends them a secure link by text, email or letter. This link takes patients directly to their personalised health review, with questions tailored to their care and condition.  You can complete it at a time that suits you, and the questions are clear and easy to follow.  Everything you share is sent securely to your healthcare team here at the surgery and automatically added to your medical record, so your doctor or nurse can review it the same way that they review your information during a face-to-face review. This information helps the clinician team understand how well your condition is being managed and whether you might need any additional support. MedLink supports a wide range of care areas, including asthma, hypertension, diabetes, and many more other long-term conditions.

Why Have Cropredy Surgery Chosen MedLink?

We understand that life can be busy and it’s not always easy to visit the surgery. Using MedLink gives patients more flexibility and control over care, without losing the connection with the healthcare team. It’s secure, simple to use, and designed to make managing patients health easier and more conveniently, both for the patient and practice. Our goal is to ensure that patients who need more support receive it, while those who are able to manage their health well can continue to do so with minimal disruption to their daily lives. 

Practice Nurses run clinics between 8am and 6pm each day. They offer blood pressure measurement, children's immunisations, some travel vaccinations, dressings and a range of other services. On Wednesdays, the nurse will have appointments available from 7:30am.

Blood Test Appointments

If you need a blood test you can call or book online using Patient Access. These appointments are available every morning Monday to Friday.

Dispensary Reviews of the Use of Medicines (DRUMs)

The Dispensary team offer appointments for patients interested in reviewing their medicines and their use. Speak to the receptionist for details.

Call reception on 01295 758372 to book an appointment with one of the team or register with us for Patient Access.

Photographs 

If you wish to send in a photograph to the surgery, please call the surgery first and we will arrange to send you secure link to your mobile in order for you to send the photograph directly to your medical notes. Please do not send images of genitalia. 

Urine Samples 

In order to keep our patients and staff safe and to keep within national guidelines, we can no longer accept urine samples without an accompanying appointment. Therefore, please do not drop off a urine sample without making an appointment to see a GP or nurse first.

Urine samples must be in the correct container which reception can give you. This way we know the bottle is clinically clean and has a good screw top which won’t leak!

These are mainly for patients too ill to attend the surgery.

Call the surgery with brief details of symptoms before 10:30am if possible.

In an emergency, telephone the Surgery: 01295 758372 and the receptionist will then pass your message to the GP.

Primary Care Visiting Service

Oxfordshire GPs were successful in winning a bid for money to trial various service changes across the area. The contract with NHS England is operated for our area by our new collaboration of GP Practices called NOxMed. There are some exciting plans in development but the first of these has started in the shape of the Primary Care Visiting Service (PCVS).

If you ring for a home visit and the doctor thinks that you are suitable, one of the Emergency Care Practitioners from The Early Visiting Service (EVS) will come to see you. The paramedic will then report back to the doctor with the results and they will work together to provide the most suitable care for you.

Patients in the Banbury area will be visited throughout the day and not have to wait until the doctor is free; this allows the GP's to spend more time with patients who may be particularly ill or who may have very complex needs.

These visits are proving very popular, so please do feedback what you think if you are visited by one of the team.

We offer extended hours at Cropredy Surgery: Mondays 8am to 7:15pm and Wednesdays 7:30am to 6:30pm.

First Aid Unit Clinic (FAU) Enhanced hours - Only at Chipping Norton Health Centre

We offer appointments at the new First Aid Unit (FAU) for all patients (adults and children over 1 years old) with enhanced access hours at Chipping Norton Health Centre.

FAU appointments will be available weekday evenings from 6.40pm to 8pm and Saturdays from 9am to 5pm. 20-minute appointment slots and ALL face-to-face. 

Note: This is NOT a walk-in service and patients will not be seen without an appointment.  

For data protection purposes, it is really important our patients are aware they are being seen at a clinic which has been contracted to provide this service on behalf of Cropredy Surgery and that patients' medical information will be shared with the 3rd party.  

First Aid Unit Clinics (FAU) patient data will be shared with South Central Ambulance Service (SCAS). When we book an appointment, it is for attendance at the FAU in Chipping Norton. You should be aware that the service is being provided by South Central Ambulance Service (SCAS) on our behalf.

Ask for a Fitness to Work Note/Sick Note as well as any letter requests or any administration queries. Use Accurx Service here