The doctors, the Practice Nurse and the Health Visitor see patients by appointment. There is very little pressure on the appointments system which will make it easy for you to be seen when you wish. Making appointments "spreads the load" and ensures that the person you have come to see is not under undue time pressure, but can devote that time to just thinking about you.
You can make an appointment by contacting reception during normal hours, either by phone or in person.
Morning surgeries run in theory from 9 - 10:30am but are extended where possible to accommodate everyone who wants to come then. Evening surgeries run from 4:30 - 5:30pm on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. These are also extended to cope with the workload. The extra appointments are added to the beginning of the evening surgeries.
Thursday afternoons are given over to the various clinics we put on, and Tuesday afternoon is our half day closing.
The practice is not open on a Saturday or Sunday.
The Practice Nurse works by appointments from 9 - 12 each morning from Monday to Friday, and in the afternoons on Thursdays and Fridays.
The Health Visitor is here on a Thursday morning.
Phoning the doctor / the telephone consultation by appointment
The doctor is available to take phone calls from 11 until 11:20. Please make an appointment for this. It may be possible to get through at other times if we are not busy, but would ask for your understanding when we are. When we are unusually busy, even this may not be possible.
We have a beautiful purpose built surgery, fully-equipped, and the ideal situation to perform any examination or tests that may be necessary. So you should only request a home visit if your health is such that you really cannot get here.
To request a visit, phone (013398) 81281. We ask you to make your requests for home visits by 10:15 each morning. This allows us to organise our various commitments. Anyone requesting a visit by 10:15 will receive that visit on the same day, and probably before lunch time.
In an emergency, phone (013398) 81281. Emergencies - we will always respond as fast as we can to emergencies, whatever time of day. If an emergency occurs during the surgery consulting time, the doctor will have to leave that surgery and the patients who have appointments. We trust everyone will be understanding if delays occur for this reason. Emergency cover for evenings, nights and weekends will be provided by NHS24 and GMEDS. If you need a doctor urgently at these times, dial the usual number and your call will be diverted to NHS24. Although these calls are taken centrally, the GDOCS doctor is based locally - in Aboyne.