Appointment times

Mornings:   8.30 am to 11.20 am, Monday to Friday
Afternoons:  2.30 pm to 5.00 pm, Monday to Friday
Evenings:   5.00 pm to 7.00 pm, Monday to Thursday

Please note our doctor’s hold their surgeries at different times, and on different days of the week - for details please ask at Reception.

• Appointments last for 10 minutes
• Usually there is only enough time to address one problem per appointment
• For a longer appointment, please ask when you book
• Appointments are for one person’s health (but you are welcome to have someone accompany you)
• We always try to keep to time, but with some appointments this is not always possible; if we are running late our receptionist will apologise and keep you informed.

Routine appointments - book in advance
By making an appointment in advance you can normally see the doctor of your choice. For continuity of care we strongly recommend that, where possible, you see the same doctor in relation to a specific problem or course of treatment.

You can book a routine appointment by phone on 0844 387 8419/01233 220699 or by coming into reception. Ideally, please call between 10 am and 5 pm.

Peak call times are 8.30am and 10.30am, so if you ring then our lines are more likely to be engaged for long periods than at other times of day.

Super Surgery - urgent same-day appointments
To help us provide you with faster access to our GPs we have introduced a Super Surgery on weekday mornings from 8.30-11am.

How our Super Surgery works

• Super-Surgery operates from 8.30 to 11 am, Monday to Friday
• For a same-day appointment ring before 11am (if you call after 11am you will be asked to phone in again for the next day’s Super-Surgery)
• Emergencies after 11am will be assessed over the phone, by the duty doctor.
• You can request a face to face consultation - or a telephone consultation
• Super-Surgery patients will be seen by the duty doctor, in strict order
• If you want to see a particular doctor you will be asked to book a routine appointment.

Telephone
advice
0844 3878419
or
01233 220699 

Many problems can be dealt with over the phone instead of
coming into the surgery to see a GP or nurse. For example:
- Recurrence of a known problem
- Diarrhoea and vomiting 
- Back or muscular pains
- Problems that don’t need a physical examination.
    
If you would like medical advice by phone, please call us in the morning. We will ask you to leave your name and phone number so that a GP or nurse can call you back when they are free.

Very sick
babies and
young children
0844 3878419
or
01233 220699

If your child has a high fever, vomiting and diarrhea - please ring before bringing your child to the surgery.

We will try to arrange a side room and immediate attention when you arrive.

(This service is not for common ailments, coughs and colds.)

Home visits are intended only for patients who are seriously ill, terminally ill, bed bound or too frail or ill to come into the surgery, in which case your GP may decide  to visit you at home.

Please note, lack of transport isn’t a reason for a home visit.

Making an appointment for a home visit
Most home visits are done in the middle of the day, so ideally please ring before 10.30 in the morning to ask for an appointment.

Our receptionist will ask you for the patient’s full name, address and telephone number and the reason for the visit. This information will help our GPs in planning and prioritising their home visits.

No need to go to A&E with a minor injury - come to Wye Surgery instead!

The nurses in our minor injury unit can treat ... cuts, minor burns, foreign bodies in the eye, bangs and sprains etc.

If you need urgent medical help when we are closed, and you cannot wait until we’re open again - call 111. For example if:

• You need medical help fast - and it's not a 999 emergency
• You think you might need to go A&E or other NHS urgent care service
• You don't know who to call - or if you don’t have a GP/family doctor
• You want advice or reassurance - eg about first aid or how to manage an illness or injury.

How NHS 111 works

For more info and leaflets in English and foreign languages, go to NHS 111.

NHS 111 has regionally based teams of health advisers and nurses who know local health services inside out. Our NHS 111 team is based in Ashford.

When you ring, they will ask you questions to assess your symptoms, then either:

• Give you the healthcare advice you need, or
• Direct you straightaway to the local service that can help you best - for example A&E, an out-of-hours doctor, an urgent care centre or a walk-in centre, a community nurse, an emergency dentist or a late-opening chemist.

Where possible, the NHS 111 team will book you an appointment or transfer you directly to the service you need.

If NHS 111 advisers think you need an ambulance, they will immediately arrange for one to be sent to you.

Symptom & injury checker

When you or a member of your family is ill or injured you may be unsure if they need to see a doctor or not. If you’re usure what to do, take a look at our symptom checker.

When to go to
a minor injuries unit or other centre

If it’s not serious phone your local minor injuries unit (MIU), walk-in centre or urgent care centre instead of going to A&E. You could be seen more quickly and it frees up staff in A&E to concentrate on people with serious and life-threatening conditions.

Typically local centres may treat:

• Sprains and strains
• broken bones in the arm, foot or ankle
• wound infections
• minor burns and scalds
• minor head injuries
• insect and animal bites
• minor eye injuries
• injuries to the back, shoulder and chest.

They will NOT treat:

• chest pain
• breathing difficulties
• major injuries
• stomach pains
• gynaecological problems
• pregnancy problems
• allergic reactions
• overdoses
• alcohol-related problems
• mental health problems
• conditions likely to require hospital admission

Children: Be aware that some MIUs and walk-in centres do not have the facilities to treat young children.

Be prepared in case of emergencies:

• Print out the details and phone numbers of your local medical centres and keep them where you can see them, such as on your fridge door or in your mobile phone/diary.
• If you have a long-term condition, write down the details of your GP, prescriptions, other medications and any test results. Again, keep them handy so you can give as much information as possible to the person who provides treatment in an emergency.
• Keep a basic first aid kit in your home and ensure that everyone, including children, knows where it is and how to use it.

Listen to What to do in a range of first aid situations from Burns to total collapse.

Watch NHS videos on a range of health topics and situations.

If Wye Surgery is shut and you need medical advice fast, who to call depends on how urgent the situation is:

• In a life-saving emergency - dial 999 for an ambulance.
• If it is NOT a 999 emergency and we’re open - call us on 0844 387 8419 or dial 111 to speak to NHS 111
• If we’re closed and it's not an emergency - dial 111 for advice.

When to
call 999

Always dial 999 in a life-threatening emergency .
This service is designed to save lives, for example:

• Loss of consciousness
• Fits that are not stopping / Acute confused state
• Persistent, severe chest pain
• Breathing difficulties
• Severe bleeding that can't be stopped.

PLEASE DON’T CALL 999 IN LESS URGENT SITUATIONS.

If you go to A&E make sure you need urgent care. Otherwise, you could be diverting valuable NHS resources away from those whose need is more urgent. Also, Wye Surgery will be charged from £52 and £183 - even if you are not treated or don’t wait to be seen.

Instead of going to A&E:

• You can get a Same Day Appointments here - every day, Monday to Friday, for routine and acute problems, including minor Injuries such as cuts, stings, strains, sprains, minor burns etc. Alternatively you can ask for a telephone consultation with one of our doctors.
• When we are closed call NHS 111.
• The Walk In Centre at The Royal Victoria Hospital, Radnor Park, Folkestone is open 7am-10pm Monday to Friday and 9am-10pm Weekends and Bank Holidays for cuts, itches, stings, strains, sprains, minor burns etc.
• Your local pharmacy can help and sometimes treat coughs, colds, diarrhoea, headaches, fever.
• Your own Dentist will deal with any dental problems ; they will have an Out of Hours contact, or you can call DentaLine on 01634 890 300. If you need a dentist but do not have one, call 0808 238 9797.

Go to Useful numbers and web links for the contact details of our local health services and pharmacies.

How 999 works

Four different emergencies services share the ‘999’ phone number, so you will be asked which service you need - police, fire, ambulance or coastguard.

999 is always open - 24 hours a day, every day of the year. Calls are free from mobiles and landlines.

Contact 999
by SMS text

If you can’t make voice calls, you can now contact the 999 emergency services by SMS text from your mobile phone.

Emergency SMS is part of the standard 999 service designed specifically for people with hearing loss or speech difficulties. Download leaflet.

You will need to register your mobile phone before using Emergency SMS. Do it now, just text ‘register’ and send the message to 999. You will get a reply – then follow the instructions you are sent. More info and video.

Find out how you can help to save a life, and perform CPR if the person has stopped breathing and has no pulse:

Resuscitation & CPR

NHS advice - How to resuscitate Babies & children

Learn CPR with Vinnie Jones.

Suspected stroke?
Make sure you know the early warning signs:

Link to NHS information - Recognise a stroke

Emergency First Aid Courses
Resuscitation and First Aid training courses are available from local branches of the British Red Cross. See what you already know - take their online First Aid Challenge and download their FREE life-saving skills mobile application.

Meningitis is a serious illness that can affect people of all ages, especially children and teenagers. It causes:

• a high temperature
• dislike of light
• drowsiness
• a purple rash that does not change colour if it is pressed with a glass.

If you suspect that you, or a child, has meningitis it is important to seek medical advice immediately.

Test results
0844 3878419
or
01233 220699
8.30am - 5 pm
Monday to Friday

To get the results of a medical test please ring our test results line between 8.30 am and 5 pm Monday to Friday.

We will only give the results to you – not to anyone else ringing on your behalf unless we have your prior consent.

Most test results take several days to come back, but this varies. When you have your test, you will be given an indication of how long it will be before we expect to get your results.

Cervical smear tests
If you have had a cervical smear test, the Health Authority will post your results directly to you. This normally takes around 6 weeks.

Fit Note (certificates)

Off sick for 7 days or less
Your employer may ask you to complete a self certification form (SC2). Download form SC2 here.

If your employer or an insurance company requires a certificate in your first week of illness, your GP can provide a private certificate for which there is a charge (sometimes your employer or insurance company may be charged for this).

NHS doctor’s certificates (Fit Notes) are not issued unless
you are off sick from work with an illness, injury or condition lasting more than 7 days.

Off sick for 8 days or more
You must be seen by your GP before they can issue you with a sickness certificate.

If you have been seen by a Consultant at the Hospital or have been an inpatient, they should provide you with a Fit Note.