The practice offers a variety of ways in which you can get an appointment to see one of our clinicians. We try to maintain a balance between pre-bookable appointments, whilst still allowing capacity to see patients who are unwell and need to be seen that day. An appointment is for one person only. Please let us know at the time of booking if more than one person needs to be seen. If your problem is complex or you feel you need extra time, please ask for a double appointment.
We have asked our receptionists to ask you a little bit about your problem to help us direct you to the best person.
Access now available:
We will also offer some telephone advice/consultations if you feel you don't need to see a GP or Nurse Practitioner.
Our nurse practitioners hold some minor ailment clinics and can deal with many day-to-day ailments. You may therefore be asked whether an appointment with the nurse would be appropriate. Our nurses also run specialist clinics for the monitoring and management of chronic diseases, such as Diabetes, Heart Disease, Blood pressure, asthma and COPD. Please ask for details at reception.
We offer a number of appointments to book on the day. Please ring after 08:30 to request one of these on the days this service is available.
There are times when all of the available appointments have been taken on a given day. If you feel your condition is urgent and you need to be seen that day the receptionist may ask for certain details to discuss with the doctor. The doctor may phone you back directly or arrange for you to be seen as an extra during that days surgery sessions. At busy times this may mean a wait in the surgery but you will be seen as soon as we are able.
Consultations take place during the following times:-
We aim to see you within 20 minutes of your appointment time but please remember that unexpected emergencies may take the doctor away from his surgery and you will be waiting longer for your appointment. These are unavoidable and we ask you to be patient - one day you may need an emergency service. We will try to keep you informed of any such delays.
If you simply do not turn up, that appointment is wasted. If you do this regularly we will warn you by letter and if you continue to abuse the service in this way we may ask for you to be removed from our list.
The receptionists are here to help you. They have a difficult and challenging job so please show the staff the respect they deserve and work with them to arrange the best possible solution. We may not always be able to offer you an appointment at your convenience but we will always try our best to get you seen.
Whilst we encourage our patients to come to the surgery, where we have the proper equipment and facilities available, we do appreciate this is not always possible. In this respect, if you do need a home visit, you can help us by calling reception before 10:00.
You may only request a home visit if you are housebound or are too ill to visit the practice. Your GP will only visit you at home if they think that your medical condition requires it and will also decide how urgently a visit is needed. Please bear this in mind and be prepared to provide suitable details to enable the doctor to schedule house calls
You can also be visited at home by a community nurse if you are referred by your GP. You should also be visited at home by a health visitor if you have recently had a baby or if you are newly registered with a GP and have a child under five years.
The practice plays an important part in the training of medical students from Sheffield University.
Students do sit in with our clinicians and on such occasions your consent for them to do this will be sought. If you do not wish for a student to be present your wishes will be honoured.
If you require an interpreter to attend with you when you see your Doctor please notify the receptionist and she will arrange this for you.
Local GP practices have teamed up to provide extra weekend and evening appointments for their patients
From 1st October 2022 weekend and evening appointments will be available at Burncross Surgery and Fairlawns Medical Centre for patients registered at the practices listed below.
See link for further information Enhanced Access North West Cluster - Primary Care Sheffield
We aim to provide a professional, caring, and friendly service. To help us to help you and other patients we ask that you adhere to the following:
Home visits are only for those who are unable to leave the house for any reason. If you think you need a home visit, please call as early as possible, ideally before 10am to make your request. Remember that if there is any way you can get to the surgery, or ask someone to bring you, please do this. Please be aware that if you request a home visit and you are not at home when we visit you – you will not be able to request home visits in the future. It is better for you to be seen in the surgery where the clinician has all the equipment and your medical records available to them. A GP can see 6 patients in the time it takes to do one home visit.
Like most surgeries, we can run late on occasions so please bear with us in these circumstances. We do try to give patients the time they need but sometimes this makes us run late.
Please remember that generally speaking there should only be one problem per consultation – try not to ‘save up’ your concerns as this doesn’t help us to manage our time, despite your intentions being not to waste an appointment. If you are concerned about something it is never a waste of an appointment.
To ensure the safety of your children, please keep an eye on them at all times in the waiting room. If you can safely organise for child-minding whilst you have your consultation this helps the clinician to give you their full attention.
When booking an appointment, be prepared to be asked the reason for your request. This helps us to ensure you get the care you need in the most appropriate timescale. You do have the right not to give a reason.
Thank you
