Appointments

The easiest ways to book an appointment is to use the NHS APP:

Urgent appointments

To request an urgent appointment for today or tomorrow (Monday to Friday) contact us below:

When you get in touch, we’ll ask what you need help with.

We will use the information you give us to choose the most suitable doctor, nurse or health professional to help you.

We offer children under 12 years a GP contact the same day.  This isn’t necessarily an appointment to see a GP, but can be telephone assessment.

If you feel you are unable to wait for a routine appointment and your problem requires you to be seen more urgently then please let the receptionist know and she will pass your details to the doctor.

Routine appointments

To request a routine appointment:

• Use our online appointment request form, Monday to Friday from 8.00am to 6.00pm

eConsult: Contact Your GP Online

How do I use eConsult?

To access our services such as appointment, prescription requests, and administrative queries such as fit note requests or chasing referrals you will need to complete an online form.

To do this…

• go to the NHS APP, click on the ‘service tab’ at the bottom, then online services or you can click on this link 
• Select either admin or medical request
• Confirm this is a non-urgent request
• Write the request to the practice, giving as much information as possible
• Tell the practice how you want to be contacted
• Enter your details
• Press submit!

For each request you make, you can expect a response from the practice either by email or text with advice by 5pm the following day.

When you get in touch, we’ll ask what you need help with.

We will use the information you give us to choose the most suitable doctor, nurse or health professional to help you.

As demand will always exceed availability of appointments, you may have to wait up to 5 days for routine appointments, and sometimes longer if you specify that you wish an appointment with a particular doctor. 

Each appointment is for one patient only, and children (under 16) should always be accompanied by a parent or Legal guardian.

Your appointment

We will use the information you give us to choose the most suitable doctor, nurse or health professional to help you.

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

• by phone
• face to face at the surgery
• on a video call
• by text or email

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

Evening and weekend appointments

Evening and weekend appointments are available and are held at Heaton Medical Practice, 2 Lucy Street, Bolton, BL1 5PU.

To book an appointment contact the practice and state that you would like an evening or weekend appointment.

To cancel an evening and weekend appointment:

• call the practice on 01204 494133 and your call will be diverted to the service
• reply CANCEL to your appointment reminder text message

Home visits

If you are housebound and need an appointment, we will do a home visit. We will phone you first to understand what you need.

To request a home visit, it’s helpful if you phone the practice as soon after 8am as possible.

Cancelling or changing an appointment

We would ask that you cancel your appointment at least 24 hours in advance so that we can offer the appointment to another patient.

To cancel your appointment:

• use the NHS App or use your NHS account (through the NHS website)
• reply CANCEL to your appointment reminder text message
• Using the online request form

If you fail to keep your appointment repeatedly, we will try and explain the consequences of your actions to you. If you continue to miss appointments, your name will be taken off our panel so that we can continue to provide a good service to patients who are more thoughtful and considerate to others.

If you need help with your appointment

Please tell us:

• if there’s a specific doctor, nurse or other health professional you would prefer to respond
• if you would prefer to consult with the doctor or nurse by phone, face-to-face, by video call or by text or email
• if you need an interpreter
• if you have any other access or communication needs

If you need help when we are closed

If you require urgent medical assistance which cannot wait until the surgery re-opens, please call the Out of Hours Service on 0161 763 8940. When you arrive for your appointment please report to the receptionist, who will give you a number, based on your appointment time and not the time you arrived.

If you need medical help now, use NHS 111 online or call 111.

NHS 111 online is for people aged 5 and over. Call 111 if you need help for a child under 5.

Call 999 in a medical or mental health emergency. This is when someone is seriously ill or injured and their life is at risk.

Extended Hours Telephone Consultations

Please note that we now offer a telephone consultation with a GP on Tuesday Mornings 7am – 8am and Thursday evenings from 18:30 to 19.30pm. You may book these in advance if you feel your condition is appropriate to discuss over the phone.