Out of Hours Emergencies
GP services are available 24 hours a day and the Surgery is open every weekday from 8am – 6.30pm (we do not close for lunch).
We have an extended Surgery on Wednesday afternoons and we now offer appointments until 7:30pm on that day. If you wish to contact a doctor outside these times, you should still ring 01277 236640 and you will be redirected to our Out of Hours Provider who provide full medical cover.
When the practice is closed, there is an out of hours emergency medical service available at all times. This service is meant for urgent and emergency problems and should not be used to avoid the inconvenience of consulting during the day. If you need out of hours help, you should telephone 111 which is a free-phone number nationwide. Trained staff located at the call control centre will handle your enquiry.
On dialling 111 a team of fully trained advisers and experienced nurses will assess your condition and direct you to the local service that can help you best, when you need it. That could be your GP surgery, an out of hours GP, A&E, a local urgent care centre, emergency dentist or a late opening pharmacist. The 111 service is in operation 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
Remember the Out of Hours Service is for urgent problems only. Please do not contact the service for a second opinion or for anything which can wait until the next working day.
If you have a minor ailment you could visit your local pharmacy who will be able to provide you with some help or signpost you onto the next available service.
In a genuine emergency you should call 999. Chest pains and / or shortness of breath constitute an emergency.
There are three A & E Hospitals in this area, located at Queen’s (Romford), Broomfield (Chelmsford) and Basildon.
There is also a Minor Injuries Unit at Orsett Hospital, usually open between 10am-7pm every day except Bank Holidays, with no appointment being necessary but if you wish to contact them first, to check opening times etc, the number to ring is 01268 592300.
Harold Wood Walk-in Centre, in Gubbins Lane, offers emergency GP NHS services from 8am – 8pm every day of the year. You are unable to make an appointment at this Centre, it is purely for “walk in” patients and if you require further information please ring them on 01708 729000
NHS 111 BSL
The NHS 111 service is available for deaf people to contact 111 medical staff. Fully qualified and experienced interpreters. This is for use when:
- You need help quickly, but it is NOT an emergency;
- You think you might need to go to A&E but are not in imminent danger
- You don’t know who to contact, or your GP is not available;
- You need health information or advice on what to do next.
How To Make Contact
Go to Interpreter Now – NHS 111. Click on Connect – a BSL interpreter will appear on your screen.
Making contact in BSL is easy. You can do it from any computer, and almost all tablets and mobile phones.
Mental Health Crisis?
You should call 999 or go to A&E if you, or someone you know, experiences a life-threatening medical or mental health emergency. These are cases where there is immediate danger to life or physical injury. A mental health emergency should be taken as seriously as a medical emergency. If you feel like you may be close to acting on suicidal thoughts or have seriously harmed yourself, you should call 999 or go to A&E directly if you need immediate help and are worried about your safety.