You may on occasion want some advice from a clinician such as a doctor, nurse or clinical pharmacist, however you do not need to come to surgery to obtain it. For example if you attended the surgery yesterday to see a doctor and were prescribed medication and have a simple query regarding it, it may be more convenient for you to request to the pharmacist via telephone to resolve the query. 

We offer a range of telephone consultations including a limited number of telephone appointments with each one of our clinicians which usually take place at the beginning or end of their clinic. We also offer a wider range of telephone consultations throughout the day with a GP or Pharmacist, 7 days a week via our Virtual Centre. The Virtual Centre medical staff are based upstairs at West Heath Surgery.

If you feel a telephone appointment would be appropriate for you then the most convenient way to book a telephone consultation is via our patient app, or alternatively call the surgery and the receptionist will book an appropriate appointment.

Telephone consultations can be used for problems such as (this list is not exhaustive):

  • Coughs and colds
  • Simple medical conditions
  • Aches and pains
  • Test results
  • Ongoing fit/sick notes
  • Changes or problems to medications, or
  • When you want some general medical advice from a clinician.

Please note this service is not appropriate for medical emergencies or serious health complaints. If you are unsure whether your problem is suitable for a telephone consultation please speak to reception.