Appointments & Clinics
Please remember: One problem per appointment. If you have multiple issues, please book further appointments
Ways to book an appointment
- Appointments can be made by telephone on 01254 360228
- Via an Online App
- In person
Our receptionists will ask you for a brief reason for your appointment, you of course do not have to provide this information, but it will help us, to help you get the best person/service to help with your problem. If your problem is one which you wish not to disclose to reception, please say 'personal'. Our receptionists have undertaken Care Navigation training and are aware of local services within the area which may be better placed to help you.
Types of Appointments
- Routine Appointments - These can be pre-booked with a Doctor of your choice; this also gives you better continuity of care.
- Urgent - On the day appointments - These appointments are for urgent acute issues, we ask that patients call at 08.00 on the morning, these appointments are limited and are booked on a first come first served basis, this may not be with a Doctor of your choice. We may offer you an appointment at either site or at a "Spoke Clinic" - this will be an appointment with a Doctor within the Blackburn with Darwen area.
- We offer both face to face and telephone appointments. Please wear a face mask when attending the surgery.
ON ARRIVAL
Please book in at reception when you arrive. If there is a significant delay in surgery, we will inform you.
APPOINTMENT LENGTH
Please remember that an appointment is for 10 minutes; for 1 problem and 1 person only. If you require a longer appointment, please advise the receptionist when you book your appointment, or if you need consecutive appointments for more than 1 person in the family.
This is so that the doctor can deal with each problem safely and also help keep clinics running to time.
CANCELLING APPOINTMENTS
If you cannot keep an appointment, please inform us as soon as possible so that it can be offered to someone else.
HOME VISITS BEFORE 10.30AM
A home visit can be requested by telephoning surgery before 10.30am if possible. Home visits are primarily for those who are truly housebound due to illness. The receptionist will ask for your symptoms (this is so that urgent cases can be given priority). Home visits are at the discretion of the Doctor and you may be asked to attend the surgery if this is more appropriate. Ill children will almost always be seen more quickly if they can be brought to surgery.
999 CALLS
Your nearest A&E Department to Blackburn is the Royal Blackburn Hospital. If yourself, or anyone is experiencing severe chest pain, suspected broken bones, a stroke, loss of consciousness or loss of blood you should go to your nearest A&E or dial 999.
AMBULANCE BOOKINGS
Transport for patients who have a clinical condition which would result in them not being able to make their own way to a hospital appointments can be arranged by contacting 0800 0323240.
EXTENDED ACCESS
Late evening and weekend GP appointments are provided by the Spoke clinics.
The practice is a member of Blackburn with Darwen's Local Primary Care GP federation. Local Primary Care federation runs a GP extended access service that provides additional appointments at four neighbourhood spoke surgeries (Barbara Castleway HC, Shadsworth, Little Harwood and Darwen HC). Patients can be booked into one of the four spoke surgeries via the practice receptionists accordingly. Please ask at reception for more information.
Weekend Asthma nurse clinics and Smear clinics are also provided at Barbara Castleway HC. Please ask at reception to book.
MINOR INJURIES
The nurse-led minor injuries service is a walk-in clinic and operates Mon-Fri 08:30-18:00 from:
Barbara Castleway Health Centre
Simmons Street, Blackburn. BB2 1AX
Tel: 01254 283000
Darwen Health Centre
James Street West, Darwen. BB3 1PY
Tel: 01254 283000
CARE NAVIGATION
You may have noticed that we now ask for a brief outline of your problem when you call to make an appointment at the practice. This is because we have developed a new role in the practice - called a care navigator - to help you to see the right health professional first time. We have trained a number of staff to take on this new role. Our care navigators will work with you to fully understand what your needs are and ensure that we help you with your problem efficiently and conveniently. Their goal is to ensure that you get the right care at the right time in the right place with the right outcome.
Through specialist training, our team can now offer more choice on who to see in the practice and help you get to the right health professional fast. Our care navigators never offer clinical advice or triage; this is about offering you the choice to see other more appropriate health professionals, often quicker and without the need to see the GP each time.
For example, we often get calls that can be dealt with by an optician, the pharmacist, or the nurse, that you may not be aware of if you haven’t visited the practice in a while.
By working this way, it helps us to free up time for GPs to care for our patients with complex or serious health conditions and it means that you will find it easier to get a GP appointment when you need one. More importantly though, it means you are seen by the most appropriate health professional that is best placed to deal with your problem each time you visit us. The choice is up to you.
Why does the receptionist ask me what’s wrong?
It is not a case of the receptionists being nosey!
The reception staff are members of the practice team and it has been agreed they should ask patients ‘why they need to be seen. Reception 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
Receptionists are asked to collect brief information from patients
- To help doctors prioritise house visits and phone calls
- To ensure that all patients receive the appropriate level of care
- To direct patients to see the nurse or other health professional rather than a doctor where appropriate
Reception staff, like all members of the team, are bound by confidentiality rules
- Any information given by you is treated in the strictest confidence. The practice takes any breach of confidentiality very seriously.
- You can ask to speak to a receptionist in private away from the reception counter - just ask.
- However if you feel an issue is very private and do not wish to say what this is then we will respect your decision - just tell reception the problem is 'personal'.
Patient Online Services
Springfenisco Healthlink offers patients the facility to book, view, amend, cancel and print appointments online.
The practice also offers the facility for all patients to order online, view and print a list of their repeat prescriptions or medicines and appliances.
We publicise and promote our online services to our patients through the practice website and posters. Please ask at reception if you need further information.
If you would like to sign up for online services please click here
Outside of opening hours
OUT OF HOURS SERVICE
When Springfenisco Surgery is closed there is always a Doctor available for emergencies with the Out of Hours Service.
You can contact the out of hours doctors by dialling
111.
*Please Note
The out of hours service is not designed for true medical emergencies or accidents. When it is better for you to access the emergency services at the Royal Blackburn Hospital Emergency Department, please do.
NHS 111 is a fast and easy way to get the right help wherever you are, and whatever the time.
You can call NHS 111, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year and all calls from landlines and mobiles free of charge when you need medical help fast, but it isn’t a 999 emergency.
Clinics & Services
Chronic disease management including Asthma, COPD, Diabetes, High Blood Pressure
Well person clinics
NHS Health Checks
Childhood immunisation
Smears (cervical cytology)
FLU and Pneumococcal vaccinations
Minor Surgery - lumps and bumps, toenails, etc
Contraceptives - including coils and hormone implants
Some Travel Vaccinations - Please complete the travel vaccination form at reception at least 6 weeks prior to travel.
For more information, please see reception.
NON-NHS SERVICES
Certain services such as private sick notes or letters, private prescriptions, insurance claim forms, some medical examinations e.g. HGV & PSV, fostering medicals and certain travel vaccinations are not covered by the National Health Service and charges are made in line with BMA recommendations. Please ask at reception for details
