Non-urgent advice: Our Appointments System

You can make an appointment with a doctor in the following ways:

  • By telephoning the practice on 01865 515552
  • By calling in at the surgery

You can also self-refer to our First Contact Physiotherapists and Dietitians using either of the above methods.  Please see our Healthier Oxford City PCN for more details of the services.

The Practice offers:

  • routine 10-minute appointments
  • telephone consultations
  • extended hours appointments (early morning, early evening and Saturday morning)
  • same-day access to a duty doctor for urgent problems

Summertown Health Centre is a group practice. This means the doctors share responsibility for all our patients and you may see any one of our doctors. To enable continuity of care you may find it beneficial to see a regular doctor of your choice where this is possible. If you wish to see a doctor of your choice, then you may have longer to wait to secure an appointment.

For all our appointments:

We offer a text messaging service. One day before your appointment you will receive a reminder via your mobile phone. You may choose to opt out of this service.

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Touch Screen Arrival System

We have introduced a touch screen system which enables the doctor to know that you have arrived and are waiting for your appointment.  This should help ease the queues at the reception desk.

The system is easy to use.  First it asks if you are male or female, then what date you were born and finally, what month.  It then searches the dates of birth for all the patients who are due to arrive in the next 40 minutes.  It will identify you and tell you that you are signed in and which waiting room to take a seat in.  However, if you arrive late for your appointment, it will ask you to see the receptionist.

If you would like any help with using this system, please ask at the reception desk.  The touch screen can be located to the right of the reception desk as you come into the waiting room.

Cancel an Appointment

It is important that you inform the reception staff if you are unable to attend your appointment, this will allow that appointment to be offered to another patient. If you fail to notify the Practice that you are unable to attend, you will be sent a letter informing you that you have defaulted from your appointment. Persistent defaulters maybe removed from the list.

You can also complete our appointment cancellation notification request form. This can only be used if your appointment has been arranged for more than 24 hours in advance. (excluding weekends and public holidays). You can also text to cancel your appointment.

Home Visits

Patients are requested, where possible, to telephone before 11am if a home visit is required that day.

We would request that, apart from the genuinely housebound, all other patients attend the surgery rather than request a home visit because of the extra time home visiting takes. On average four to five patients can be seen in surgery in the time it takes to do a single house call. In addition, the care that can be offered due to the lack of adequate lighting, examination facilities and equipment means that you may not receive as good a service as the doctor may be able to offer if you came to the surgery.

Please note that the doctor may telephone you rather than visit you if this is medically appropriate. Ultimately it is the doctors right to decide whether a visit is appropriate for a particular set of circumstances.

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Late For Your Appointment

Please attend your appointment on time, if you are late you may not be seen. If you are not seen you will not be able to rearrange your appointment until the next working day - except in the event of an medical emergency that requires immediate attention.

Interpreter

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.

Opening Times

Please select a site

Extended Practice Opening Hours

We offer the following outside of normal hours

  • Appointments from 7:00am on Monday mornings
  • Appointments from 6:30pm on Wednesday evenings
  • Appointments on Saturday mornings
  • Telephone consultations on one or two mornings and one or two evenings each week

All of these appointments and telephone consultations must be booked in advance. 

It may be necessary for us to alter the timings of our early, late and Saturday surgeries due, for example, to illness or bank holidays. We will endeavour to replace any surgery affected in this way.

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Private Medical Examinations

Medical examinations for special purposes such as pre-employment, fitness to travel, elderly drivers, fitness to undertake sports etc., will require longer than a routine appointment.

These examinations do not form part of NHS Services, you will be charged for any such examination. Please check the fee chargeable page here before arranging any such examination. Please inform the receptionist when arranging such appointments.