Welcome to Oakley Health Centre
Appointment System
The decision to implement the on-the-day booking system was made after careful consideration of various factors, including demand for urgent appointments, staff availability, trying to ensure equitable access and trying to avoid significant numbers of no shows. The aim is to ensure patients with urgent needs are seen quickly and to reduce waiting times for appointments, as although you may have to try for a few days, ultimately, you will be seen more quickly than our previous 6/7 week wait for a routine appointment. We can offer you the opportunity to book a GP telephone consultation in advance provided there is no need for a physical exam.
We hope that you can see from this change that we are trying to offer the best service we can to our community. Unfortunately, we can only stretch ourselves so far and there is no perfect system without more resources and manpower being provided for general practice.
We appreciate that accessing healthcare either via ourselves or at hospital these days can be a frustrating experience, but please remember that both clinicians and reception staff are trying their best to offer the best service and care we can. We ask that you therefore show all staff the courtesy and respect they deserve.
Unfortunately, we have seen a rise in verbal abuse directed towards our reception staff, and this will not be tolerated. We will always be happy to receive polite and constructive feedback, and we promise we will continue to try to provide you with the best care we possibly can.
Dr Lars Halford, Dr Laurie Whittome, Dr Alison Caldicott, Dr Steven Waugh, Dr Neil Broome