How do I...
Make An Appointment?

Always try to make an appointment with your own doctor. If your doctor is away and you have an urgent problem one of the other doctors will try to help you. Urgent cases are added to the morning list every day, but remember that these are shorter
than routine appointments. Remember also that they will not know as much about you as your own doctor. By phoning for an appointment you may save yourself time waiting in the surgery. Some delay may be unavoidable even with booked appointments, due to the unpredictable nature of cases we see. Afternoon surgeries are booked from 2.00 to 6.00pm (there is only one doctor for urgent cases after midday).

The surgery closes at 6.30pm for normal business, after which time calls are transferred to Island Health Line who can also be contacted directly by calling 0845 603 1007 (see Out Of Hours).

Cancellations
If you cannot keep an appointment please let the reception staff know. Alternatively, if the surgery is closed you can call 0844 477 3001 where you can leave a message to cancel an appointment.

Holidaymakers
They can be seen in surgery. Please telephone 0844 477 3001 for an appointment. Tourists will be charged a private fee if they originate from a country without reciprocal arrangements with the NHS.

Choice
If you require a referral to the hospital to see a consultant, your GP will offer you the choice of four different hospitals. St Mary’s on the Isle of Wight will always be one of the four choices and for most people will be the most logical option. Your GP will guide you when he/she feels that there would be an advantage to go off the Isle of Wight. Whilst visiting a mainland hospital might seem attractive for the first visit, once we have involved a mainland hospital any surgery (if necessary) and follow-ups such as physiotherapy etc, will have to take place on the mainland. For most of us, referral to St Mary’s remains the most appropriate action. Your GP will provide you with a booklet about choice at the time of referral.

Choose And Book
The government is working towards GP's making your outpatients appointments for you when a decision is made to refer you to consultant at the hospital. The system is in its early days and there are a number of problems. At the moment it is likely that the best your GP can offer is to give you a telephone number, another number and a password to quote when you phone the Referral Support Centre to negotiate your appointment.

How do I...
Obtain Telephone Advice And Results?

You can arrange a convenient time to speak to your doctor by telephoning 0844 477 3001.

How do I...
Obtain A Home Visit?

Home visits are for housebound patients.

Children and adults with temperatures, colds, coughs, earache, headache, diarrhoea, vomiting and abdominal pain are usually well enough to travel by car if a doctor’s opinion is wanted. It does NOT necessarily hurt to take a child with a temperature to the medical centre.

Today's highly trained family doctors and nurses, with the equipment and facilities at the medical centre, can provide a lot of the investigation for which you would have had to travel to the hospital not so long ago. These cannot normally be performed in the patient's own home. Common problems in the elderly such as poor mobility, joint pain and feeling generally unwell would be best dealt with at the medical centre.

Night Visits
We operate an out of hours emergency service, by way of the Island Health Line service. Please remember that the doctors who call at night will also be working in the daytime, so try to save your call until daytime. If it is genuinely urgent, you will
be given appropriate advice. To obtain out-of-hours assistance, telephone 0845 603 1007 which connects to Island Health Line.