Out of Hours Service

Between 18:30 and 08:00 Monday to Friday and all day at weekends and on Bank Holidays your call will be redirected to the NHS 111 service.

When the Surgery is Closed

For chest pain and/or shortness of breath, call 999.

When the surgery is closed please dial 111 where you will be directed to the most appropriate service.

NHS 111 is a new service to make it easier for you to access local NHS healthcare services.

Enhanced Access Service

Practices are working in partnership to provide additional GP appointments between 18:30 and 20:00 during the week and also over the weekend during 09:00 and 11:00. If you need access to an evening or weekend non-urgent appointment, please call and speak to the receptionist at your registered practice during normal opening hours. Your appointment could be with another practice in the area.

Services provided

Advice on routine medical problems, Advice on minor ailments, Asthma checks, Blood pressure checks, Diabetes checks, Emergency Contraception, Heart health checks, Immunisation advice, Lifestyle advice, Medication Reviews, NHS Health Checks, Smoking Cessation support, Travel advice.

There are a number of routes for you to access Enhanced Access:

1. Ring your Practice during normal opening hours to pre-book into the service.
2. Ring your Practice number during the practice extended hours session.

Shared Records

One major benefit of Enhanced Access (compared to an Out of Hours service) is that it allows you to book appointments outside of usual Practice hours and be seen by a clinician who can see your medical records. The clinician will only have access to your medical history with your consent. Your consent will be obtained from you when you book your appointment and again before the consultation starts.

Your medical records remain highly confidential and will not be shared without your consent.

Patient Feedback:

What patients think of our service is vital for us in improving patient experience. We will always be looking for ways to improve the services we offer to patients. To do this effectively, we need to know what you think about the services you receive.

Tell us what we do best, where we don’t meet your expectations plus any ideas and suggestions you may have. Only by listening to you can Enhanced Access continue to build and improve upon the services we offer.

Complaints:

If you have a complaint about the service you have received from a member of our team, please let us know immediately as we aim to resolve any issue immediately. Please ask to discuss any concerns with the Enhanced Access Manager directly and confidentially.

If you remain dissatisfied with the initial response you can access our Complaints Procedure which is part of the NHS system. Complaints must be made in writing and addressed to Mrs. Champa Patel (Enhanced Access Manager). We will acknowledge your complaint and will investigate and write back to you with the findings of the investigation.

Patients who can access the Enhanced Access Service are the patients who are registered with the following practices:

• Tower Hill Partnership Medical Practice
• Heath Street Health Centre
• Handsworth Medical Practice