Surgery Update

Appointment Booking
At the beginning of April 2025, the surgery improved the process for booking an appointment with a GP. This was to help patients get the most appropriate appointment with the right clinician in an appropriate timescale. Patients can now book their own appointment by visiting the Oakwood Surgery website at www.oakwoodsurgery.co.uk and clicking on the “Get started with our online booking tool” link at the top of the page. They will then be asked a series of questions to help decide which is the most appropriate appointment. To be able to use the booking system patients need to have registered an email address with the surgery.

Patients that do not have an email address or need assistance with using the booking system can still contact the surgery on 01623 435555 and a patient service advisor will go through the triage questions. Please note this may take up to 20 minutes. Alternatively, patients can visit the surgery where a patient service advisor will assist with the triage questions or teach patients how to use the triage on one of our touchscreens in the waiting room.

Please note that this process is only for GP appointments. Please contact the surgery for all other appointments, or if you are unsure of which process to follow. If a GP requests for you to book a follow up appointment during a consultation, please explain this to the patient service advisor and they will adhere to the correct policy to book the appointment.

Appointments can no longer be booked via the NHS app or SystmOnline.

Long Term Condition Reviews
Over the last 6 months the surgery has been making some changes to how and when patients are contacted for their long-term condition review. The surgery aims to contact all patients that need a review at the beginning of their birth month. If patients have registered an email address, they will be sent an email invite allowing them to book an appointment on the day and time of their choice. For those that do not have an email the surgery will send a text message or a letter.

Patients that believe they should have an annual review and have not received an email, SMS or letter asking them to book an appointment should contact the surgery before the end of their birth month.

If patients do not attend their annual review, the GP partners may decide to amend or stop prescribing certain medications for safety reasons.

Communications
Patients are advised to look out for email invites or updates from the surgery. This will be the main method of contacting patients as it allows the surgery to add more information. Patients without an email address will still be contacted via text message or letter.