There are many ways to access medical care and support. When contacting the Practice, a Patient Care Navigator will help navigate you to the right person/service for your needs.

You can access our website in the first instance and have a look at our Self Help and Wellbeing which is full of guidance and support of some available services which you can access without the need to contact the Practice first.

• Have you been to the Pharmacy First? See Pharmacy First

• Do you have an eye problem? See Minor Eye Conditions Service (MECS)

• Do you need mental health support? See Get Mental Health Support Now

• Do you need some social support? See Social Prescribing further information

• Do you need help adult care support or have a housing query? See Council & Housing

• Do you need help and support with drug and alcohol abuse? See Drug & Alcohol Support

If you are unable to get the help you need, you can go online to book an appointment or contact the Practice directly by telephone or in person.

The receptionists are here to help you, therefore they may need to ask you the reason for a consultation in order to ensure you see the appropriate clinician as the practice offers a number of options for appointments. We no longer use Ask My GP however, Patient Access and the NHS app allows you to book certain appointments online (see 'Booking appointments online) If you have recently been seen by a Doctor you may not need to book a review, please check with reception first.

Any information shared with our receptionists is done so in the strictest confidence and we offer a degree of privacy in a separate room if your enquiry is sensitive.

You have the right to be treated courteously, and our receptionists also have a right to be treated courteously by you. Please respect the privacy of other patients by standing well back from the reception desk until it is your turn.

Because of the training status of this practice it may not always be possible to see one of the GP Partners for every appointment, we are not able to offer an option to guarantee seeing the same doctor every time you attend the surgery. All patient records are computerised which ensures that whichever Doctor you see they will have up to date information about your medical history.

You can now book numerous appointments online including telephone consultations with a doctor, nurse appointments for diabetes, asthma/COPD, smears and contraceptive, NHS Healthchecks, B12 injections and nasal flu

If you are registered for Patient Access or the NHS app, you can now book the above appointments online. Find out more about the NHS app by clicking HERE  or you can follow the link below to downoad the app to your phone.

The appointments you can book will be listed on the available appointments page. 

So if you need a smear, a blood test or a nasal flu, book online as it is quicker than calling through to the surgery.

You can also easily manage your booked appointments in case you need to cancel and if we have a mobile number for you on our records then you will receive a reminder text about your upcoming appointment.

The service runs 7 days and is available to all Patients registered with a GP Practice in Bury.  This provides convenient access to Patients who find attending their GP during regular working hours difficult and can be booked through their own Practice. 

The service venues are:

• Moorgate Primary Care Centre;
• Radcliffe Primary Care Centre;
• Fairfax Medical Centre#

The service is a clinic based service only and home visits are not available

Hours of Opening:

• Monday-Friday 6.30pm–8pm
• Saturday/Sunday & Bank Holidays 8am-6pm

Booking options:

• Telephone the Practice in core hours only Monday-Friday
• Direct booking with the service Saturday/Sunday and Bank Holidays via the GP Practice number

Clinical staff available:

• GP at each site;
• Practice Nurse, Health Care Assistant, Pharmacists appointments available each weekend

To help with the winter pressures on hospitals and GP Practice's, if you call with respiratory symptoms you may be offered an appointment at the Respiratory Hub.

The respiratory Hub is GP led, meaning you will receive a face-to-face appointment on the same day.

These hubs are located at:

• Uplands Medical Centre (Whitefield)
• Spring Lane Surgery (Radcliffe)
• Woodbank Medical Centre (Bury)
• Peel GPs (Bury)

Whilst we encourage our patients to come to the surgery, where we have the proper equipment and facilities available, we do appreciate this is not always possible. In this respect, if you do need a home visit, you can help us by calling reception before 10:30. Home visits are normally made between 11:30 and 14:30.

You may only request a home visit if you are housebound or are too ill to visit the practice. Your GP will only visit you at home if they think that your medical condition requires it and will also decide how urgently a visit is needed. Please bear this in mind and be prepared to provide suitable details to enable the doctor to schedule house calls

You can also be visited at home by a community nurse if you are referred by your GP. You should also be visited at home by a health visitor if you have recently had a baby or if you are newly registered with a GP and have a child under five years.

It is important that you inform the reception staff if you are unable to attend your appointment, this will allow that appointment to be offered to another patient. If you fail to notify the Practice that you are unable to attend, you will be sent a letter informing you that you have defaulted from your appointment. Persistent defaulters maybe removed from the list.

You can also cancel your appointment online if you are registered with a Patient Access or NHS app account. You can also text to cancel your appointment upon receipt of your reminder text.

We have a texting service which allows you to receive confirmation and reminders about your appointments.

Please remember to update your contact details with us when you change address, telephone numbers and email address.

The practice has a strong ethos of training and education. We teach all grades of medical students, nurses in training, and doctors

From time to time there may be a medical student sitting in during consultations. On the days we have a student present either the receptionist or the clinician will ask you prior to your consultation for your consent at the student sitting in. If you would prefer not have a student in during your consultation simply inform the receptionist of clinician you are seeing.