Important Information

We are currently experiencing extreme pressure at the Practice. This is due to the current situation regarding Scarlet Fever and Group A Streptococcal which is predominantly affecting children. This has been highlighted in the news.

The Practice telephone system has a cut-off point of 30 calls waiting, and after that the caller does not know where they are in the queue.

Yesterday morning we could see that there were over 60 calls waiting to be answered. We put as many workforce resources into answering the calls as we could, and still had patients waiting over an hour for their call to be answered. We know that this is an unacceptable situation and ask that you please be patient with us in these unprecedented times.

We are all doing our best to manage this difficult situation. We do not have an unlimited amount of staff resources and we must always remain clinically safe in the number of patients that we consult with each day.

Currently we are prioritising children with respiratory problems.

Please note that we are unable to prescribe preventative antibiotics to children without symptoms.

If your health issue is of an ongoing nature and can wait, please bear with us and call back another time, preferably not during the morning.

  • If you need a routine appointment with a nurse, you can request this through our website: www.crouchoak.nhs.uk
  • You can access LIVI on line video consultations by downloading the app on your smart phone.
  • If you need a repeat prescription, and have a smart phone, you can do this at any time using the NHS app or use our medication request form on our website www.crouchoak.nhs.uk

We are not an urgent treatment centre. If you have an urgent need for medical assistance, you should contact the following, though please bear in mind that all of our NHS colleagues are under considerable strain:

  • 111
  • 111 on line
  • Urgent Treatment Centre – St Peter’s Hospital/Woking Community Hospital
  • 999 in cases of emergency

Please be assured that we are all working hard to provide the best service that we can to our patients.

Thank you for our patience and understanding.