Helping you to get the care you need – a guide to accessing our services – FROM 1ST OCTOBER 2025
Our practice is working hard to help make it easier for you to get the care you need. Whether you contact us online, by phone, or in person, you’ll receive the same high-quality support and patient care.
Accessing our services
Our practice is open from 8.00am to 6.30pm, Monday to Friday.
Throughout these hours you, or your carer on your behalf, can:
- Visit the practice
- Call us via 01787 475944
- Use our online consultation tool via our practice’s website The Elizabeth Courtauld Surgery or the NHS App.
You can choose the way you contact us based on what is best for you.
Using online consultation
You can use our practice’s online consultation tool, AccuRx, during our core opening hours (Mon–Fri, 8am–6:30pm) for:
- routine, non-urgent appointment requests
- medication queries
- administrative requests (e.g. fit notes, test results, letters).
You can use our practice’s online consultation tool, AccuRx, for medical issues Monday – Friday 8.00am – 12.00pm.
We will get back to you within 3 working days or sooner.
Please note: If you need help filling in an online request, you can phone our practice on 01787 475944 or visit us in person.
| If our practice is closed and you need urgent help for your physical or mental health – go online to 111.nhs.uk or call 111. They will tell you what to do next. For emergencies such as if have chest pain, severe bleeding, or difficulty breathing, please go to A&E (Accident and Emergency) or call 999. |
Please do not use the online consultation tool for:
- Urgent medical problems after 12.00pm please telephone the surgery for advice. If the surgery is closed, please call 111.
- Emergencies – for emergencies such as chest pain, severe bleeding, or difficulty breathing, please go to A&E or call 999.
If your need is urgent or you’re unsure, please call the practice or visit us in person. Urgent clinical matters will be triaged and managed appropriately.
In an emergency, always call 999 or go to A&E.
What happens when you contact our practice to request an appointment?
Whether you make your request by phone, online or by visiting the practice, you may be asked to give us some details so that we can assess what is best for you based on your clinical need. The practice team will consider your request for an appointment or medical advice and tell you within three working days what will happen next. This could be:
- A booked appointment (face-to-face, video or telephone) the same day or another day
- A message with advice or next steps (such as a text message, email or NHS App message)
- A referral to another NHS service (pharmacy, specialist or other community service)
- Advice to call 111 or visit A&E.
The practice will decide what is best for you based on your clinical need.
Understanding our appointments
Our practice is here to support your ongoing health and wellbeing. We offer:
- Routine appointments for:
- issues that can wait a few days until the next available appointment
- ongoing or long-term health conditions
- medication reviews
- general check-ups or follow-ups
- advice about a health problem, or multiple problems you wish to discuss.
- Urgent appointments for:
- problems that need attention sooner but are not emergencies
- a new health problem that you haven’t told us about before
- worsening symptoms that need attention today or soon
- problems you’re worried will get much worse if you wait longer
- just one health problem.
We continue to offer a range of appointments in the evenings and on a Saturday through our PCN Extended Access Service.
If you are too ill to come to the surgery and you require a visit at home, please call the surgery before 10:30am. Please state whether you require a visit urgently (to help us assess priority) Please note the doctor may contact you by telephone or video consultation in the first instance.
You and your general practice
This guide tells you what to expect from our practice and how you can help us, so you get the best from the NHS.