Introduction

What is an emergency? For practical purposes an emergency is a medical condition that if unattended to within a very short time, could lead to death or a serious deterioration of health. Working on that definition there should be very few emergencies that we have to deal with. However we do not expect you to work within those very confined definitions, so if you have something urgent needing sorted out please tell the receptionist.

The role of the receptionist

If you tell the receptionist that you have an "emergency" condition, she will attempt to obtain more details from you. Please note that receptionists are bound by the rules of confidentiality. The more details you give to the receptionist the better able she is at helping you.

After getting your details she will use her training to take one of several actions. If you have a serious emergency (e.g. chest pain, severe breathlessness, very ill infant, non-stop seizures, loss of consciousness) she will contact the doctor immediately for him to take action. If for whatever reason the doctor is not immediately contactable she may use her initiative to advise you to phone for a 999 ambulance. If your condition does not merit immediate action she will offer you a same-day appointment. This usually means being seen at the end of the morning surgery, or at the beginning of the evening surgery. If you request that the doctor contacts you she will pass your message to the doctor when it is convenient.

Emergencies when we are closed

Please telephone NHS24 (08454 242424) for further advice. If you have a serious emergency you are advised to phone for a 999 ambulance. For more details please see "When closed".