Appointments

Doctors' Appointments

We operate an appointment system. Urgent cases are always seen on the same day. Please let us know if you cannot keep your appointment so that we can offer it to someone else.

Appointments can be made by telephone or in person between the following opening hours:

• Weekdays 08:00 – 18:30.

We offer extended hours with the Doctors on Monday from 18:30 – 19:15 and from 07:30 on Wednesdays.

Have you thought about booking appointments online? You can book at any time by using Patient Access.

Visit our Patient Access page.

Doctors provide:

• General Medical Services
• Maternity Medical Services
• Contraceptive Services               
• Child Health Surveillance
• Minor Surgery

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

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 having made an appointment to see one of our GPs or nurses first.

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

Appointments

Have you ever thought about how long an appointment is?

Routine appointments with the doctor are for ten minutes and for one ailment. This means that they has 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 could be needed and finally you may need a prescription. All of this needs the ten minutes allocated to you. If you have more than one problem, ask the receptionist to book a double appointment so that you can have a proper discussion and can be treated for everything.

If, on the other hand, you have something that is urgent and needs to be seen on the same day where there are no routine appointments available, you may be given an emergency appointment. This is a five minute appointment and can only be for something that really is urgent. If it can wait until the next day then please book a routine appointment. 

Children under 5 years whose parents or guardians feel that they need to be seen urgently will be seen on the same day or a doctor will speak to the parents or guardians on the phone to decide together what the best care should be.

Finally, please don't bring along the rest of your family for the same appointment time as the doctor will not be able to deal with four people in the time allocated for one! Patients who come in and stay longer than their allotted time keep others waiting past their slot and that's no fun if you aren't feeling well.

If you become unwell or are injured make sure you choose the right NHS service to make sure you get the best treatment. For more information visit: Choose the Right Service

Practice Nurse Appointments

Our Practice Nurses run clinics mornings and afternoons between 08:00 and 18:00 every day. They offer blood pressure measurement, children's immunisations, travel advice and vaccinations, ear-syringing, dressings and a range of other services.

There is also an early morning session on Wednesdays when the nurse will have appointments available from 07:30.

Blood Test Appointments

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

Telephone Advice

To speak to a Doctor or Nurse for non-urgent advice and test results, please telephone between 11:30 and 15:00.

Dispensary Reviews of the Use of Medicines (DRUMs)

The Dispensary Team offer appointments for patients interested in reviewing their medicines and their use. Please speak to the receptionist for more details.

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

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

Text Messaging - Appointment Reminders

We have introduced an additional service to help you remember your appointment.

You may receive an appointment reminder by text for some appointment to your mobile phone the day before your appointment, with the exception of Monday appointments where the reminder will be sent on a Friday.

However, there are some appointments slots that do not generate a text, and therefore we do ask you to keep a record of your appointments to log into Patient Access to check your appointments.

To ensure you receive a text message, please check the number we hold with our receptionist team.

Should you not want to receive a reminder by text, please advise our receptionists and they will ensure this is recorded. You can also cancel your appointment by replying CANCEL when you receive your text reminder.

Home Visits

These are mainly for patients too ill to attend Surgery.

Please telephone with brief details of symptoms before 10:30 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; it will also allow the doctors 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 feedback what you think if you are visited by one of the team.

Fitness Certificates

You do not require a doctor's certificate for any illness lasting seven days or less.

Your employer may however, require you to complete a self-certification form (SC2) which is available from your employer or on the HMRC website.

Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) Employee's Statement of Sickness Form

Evidence that you are ill

If you are ill for more than seven days, your employer can ask you to give them some form of medical evidence to support payment of SSP (statutory sick pay).

It is up to your employer to decide whether you are incapable of work. A medical certificate, now called a 'Statement of Fitness for Work’ (see below) from your Doctor is strong evidence that you are ill and would normally be accepted, unless there is evidence to prove otherwise.

You could also provide evidence from someone who is not a Medical Practitioner, e.g. a Dentist. Your employer will decide whether or not this evidence is acceptable. If your employer has any doubts, they may still ask for a medical certificate from your GP.

Statement of Fitness for Work - ’Fit Note'

The 'Fit Note' was introduced on 6 April 2010. With your employer's support, the note will help you return to work sooner by providing more information about the effects of your illness or injury.

For more information see the DirectGov website

Consult Online with eConsult

A great way to ask for a Fitness to Work Note / Sick Note, any letter requests or any admin queries.

Use eConsult Service here

Photographs

If you wish to send a photograph to the surgery, please call us first. We will send a link which allows you to send secure photograph(s) directly into your medical notes.

Referrals

FROM NHS ENGLAND

Patients Chasing Referrals