The practice policy is to offer a mixture of same day and pre-bookable appointments.  We appreciate that patients have busy lives and we are happy to book appointments in advance.  However, we do reserve some appointments for booking on the day which are available from 8:00, which gives us the flexibility to deal with patient problems as they arise. 

We also realise that for reasons of continuity of care it is sometimes more appropriate for you to see a certain GP and they may not always be available on the day that you telephone.

We cannot guarantee that you will always be able to see the doctor of your choice but you will be offered alternatives, such as an appointment with another GP, the nurses, or a telephone consultation with a GP.

Appointments with the nursing team, midwives and physiotherapist can be organised in advance by telephoning the surgery.

You can also make an appointment using our online system.

It can be confusing to know which NHS service is the right one for your needs when there are so many options, particularly if you are a visitor to the area and unfamiliar with local services.

Just think 111. The 111 service can be used for any non-life threatening medical issues and you’ll be able to:

• Speak to a medical professional on the telephone
• Be directed to the right NHS service based on your specific needs
• Get an appointment to see a clinician face to face
• Be dealt with by a friendly and understanding operator
• Receive treatment quickly
• Be directed to the nearest pharmacy to advise on any treatment
• Get a guaranteed call-back if there are any delays
• Protect others by freeing up emergency departments
• Help the NHS by getting the care you need directly 

If possible please try to telephone reception before 10:30am if you require a home visit and explain the nature of your problem to the receptionist.  This will allow the doctor to assess the urgency of your problem and plan the visiting round accordingly.

Doctors will visit patients in their own homes if they are too ill or incapacitated to come to the surgery.  Please remember that several patients can be seen in the practice in the time that it takes to make one home visit. There are also better facilities for examining and treating patients at the surgery.

Due to the demand on the Practice's appointments it is really important that you let our reception staff know if you are unable to attend your face to face or telephone appointment. This will allow us to offer the appointment to another patient. Thank you.

We do send a follow up letter to patients who do not attend an appointment and persistent defaulters may need to register with a different Practice they find easier to attend.

You can cancel your appointment:

By Phone - 01297 20877 (Seaton & Colyton Surgery)

By text-  text cancel to your SMS reminder.

Online - If you are registered user you can cancel your appointment online.

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If you are visiting the area and require routine or non-urgent care during your trip, please contact your own GP. Your practice hold your medical records and are in a better position to provide you with care required via a telephone consultation. Your practice are also able to send prescriptions electronically to a pharmacy near to where you are visiting so you are able to collect locally.

If your GP feels you require a face to face appointment, they will advise for you to seek out local services. In this instance, please call 111 for further assistance, who will guide you to the local service you require. 

You can also access 111 online who can provide advice for your symptoms through this website https://111.nhs.uk/

If you need urgent advice, please call 111. 

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.

If you require an interpreter to attend with you when you see your Doctor please notify the receptionist and they will arrange this for you.

Extended Practice Opening Hours

Here at The Seaton and Colyton Medical Practice we continually look at ways in which we can offer additional appointments to fit in with our patients. 

GP Extended Access

From October 2018, local GP practices have been working together to improve access to GP appointments in our local area.

You can book an appointment at any of the participating local GP practices, but we do require your consent to share your full medical record with the clinician you are seeing.

To book an appointment, please phone us or call in to reception and we will provide you with a choice of dates, times and locations.