We are sometimes asked about our appointments system. This is how it works:

The practice offers about 1700 appointments every week. We share these between GPs, Physiotherapists, Paramedic Practitioners, Clinical Pharmacists, Nurses and HCA's. We also have appointments we are able to book at ‘out of hours’ centres. 

Over 70% of our appointments are face-to-face. The rest are telephone or video consultations. Sometimes we offer a face-to-face appointment after speaking on the phone.

You can book two types of appointments; these are for ‘urgent’ cases, and ‘non-urgent’ cases. We divide up the bookings we have available into different types shown below:

To make an appointment you have a few options;

• For ‘urgent’, ‘on the day’ appointments you can telephone 01243 608201. You can phone during surgery hours (08:00-16:30). This line is very busy during the first hour. If you need an urgent appointment our receptionists will choose an appropriate clinician. The clinician they choose will depend on the nature of the problem.

• For ‘non-urgent’ cases you can also telephone or use our online booking service. Sometimes only ‘urgent’ same day appointments available. This is because all the available 'non-urgent' appointments are gone. There may be more 'non urgent' appointments available if you try the next day.

• If you don't know which appointment you need, you could use the online consultation system. This is also good for administrative requests.

If you want to cancel an appointment, please use the online service or telephone 01243 608201. Choose option 4 to cancel. You will not be in a queue.

If you register for online access you can book an appointment or cancel one.

If you cancel an appointment please give plenty of warning. This is so that we can give it to another patient.

If you wish to register for online services, please follow the link.

Please note: Appointments should only be for one patient at a time. If another member of your family needs to see a clinician please make two appointments. This means the correct notes are available. It also means other patients after you are not delayed.

We also have pre-bookable appointments for those patients needing continuing care. Wherever possible try to provide a doctor of your choice. This will not always be possible as some of our GP's are part time.

Telephone consultation appointments are available. These are for blood test results and other queries that can sorted out over the phone. Our practice nurses also offer triage appointments. These are for minor ailments like sore throats, earache etc.

You can book your appointment online. To register for our online services you will need visit Reception. You will need to bring in two forms of identification. One of these items should include your photograph. You can complete the registration form in advance (follow link above).

We will then issue a username and password.

Our reception team can help you with any number of problems. Please try to explain your problem to them. They will ensure that you see the right person in the right clinic to deal with your problem.

The first hour in the morning is always the busiest time. This is usually with emergency, bookable-on-the-day requests.

To make appointments for more routine problems please ring 01243 608201. If possible, please ring after 10:30 Because it is a bit quieter then.

Home visits are ONLY made to patients who are housebound. Your GP will only visit you at home if they think that your medical condition requires it. They will also decide how urgent the visit is.

Please make requests for home visits before 10:00am.

If you need an interpreter when you see your Doctor please tell the receptionist. They will arrange this for you.

It is important that you inform the reception staff if you are unable to attend your appointment. This will allow that appointment to go to another patient. If you miss an appointment without telling us, we will send you a letter. The letter will inform you that you have defaulted from your appointment. We do remove Persistent defaulters from the list.

Please use the online service or telephone 01243 608201 option 4 to cancel.

Please attend your appointment on time. If you come late the clinician may not see you.

If you are not seen you will not be able to rearrange your appointment until the next working day. (except in the event of a medical emergency that requires immediate attention).

Transport to the hospital for your appointment or admission is available. You can arrange it through:

• St John Ambulance - 785632 or 574732

• Sammy Community Transport - 827821

Non-emergency Patient Transport in Sussex (NEPTS)

NEPTS provides transport for treatment for patients. It is only for patients who have a medical reason for not being able to travel by another method. Patient Transport has eligibility criteria. This is to ensure that resources are available to those who need the service most. For more information on this service click on this link NEPTS

GPAH is a service run in conjunction with other local surgeries. It is for GP and nurse appointments for Selsey patients. Appointments are now available during the evening and at weekends . The surgeries run at various locations in our area called GP Access Hubs (GPAH).

GP and nurse appointments are available up to 8pm on weekdays and also during the day on a Saturday.  

GP Access Hubs aim to improve access to GP appointments. They also help local people to get the help and support they need. 

As with a lot of surgeries the demand for appointments at Selsey Medical Practice is high.  We try our best to maximise the capacity of our appointment system. We also provide a wide variety of clinics to meet the needs of our patients.  

We understand that it is sometimes hard to get an appointment at the right time with the person you want. We promise to keep looking at ways to improve patient access but need some help from you.

What can you do:-

• Can you solve your problem in another way e.g. seeing a pharmacist?

• If you book an appointment in the future and then no longer need it -  please cancel it 

• Please do not book appointments unless you are sure you need one. If you do you may be blocking someone that needs the appointment.

• Do not call in the morning with medication queries or asking for test results. This is because it is the surgery's busiest time

• If you cannot keep your appointment please cancel it so someone else can take your place