For MEDICALLY URGENT issues that needs addressing on the same day, please telephone (01582 712021/ 01582 833446), or visit the surgery.

For ROUTINE appointments either: 

1. click the online consult and complete a form for non urgent appointments and enquiries 
2. telephone or visit the surgery 
3. make a phone appointment using patient access 
4. make a phone appointment using the NHS app
5. make a blood test appointment at the Red house using the NHS app/patient access

 For NURSE  appointments:

1. Smear appointments can be booked via patient access or NHS app ONLY if you have received a recall letter
2. telephone or visit the surgery for other types of appointment

TREATMENT ROOM appointments available, telephone or visit the surgery to book the following:

1. Wound Management
2. 12 lead ECG
3. Ear irrigation/ear wax removal
4. Ambulatory/Home Blood Pressure Monitoring
5. Ring Pessary Insertion and Removal

Symptoms of severe chest pain, breathless or stroke symptoms call 999 any time of day or night.

Urgent medical queries when we are closed, please call 111 or 999 in life-threatening emergency.

The information below about our service and appointments may have changed due the the pandemic. Please click here for information - we are reviewing and evaluating this all of the time in light of changing recommendations and restrictions due to Covid-19.

If you feel you need to be seen on the same day with a medically urgent problem, please call our appointments lines as above.

The doctors offer a number of "sit and wait" appointments at the end of their surgeries for on-the-day urgent problems.  These are offered in addition to their routine appointments and they ask for your patience until they can fit you in.

The doctors ask patients to give the receptionist a brief description of their symptoms for urgent problems.  This ensures you are given an appointment with the correct clinician.

We have two paramedics (Emily and Luke) and Physician's Associates (Zoe, Dina and Aisha) who can deal with many urgent problems. This frees up the doctors to deal with more complex issues.

Harpenden patients

Please call 01582 763951 for all appointments

Wheathampstead patients

Please call 01582 832258 to speak to Wheathampstead reception

Requests for routine appointments can be made by telephone, in person or increasingly, using the online consultation link.

In addition, nurse appointments for smear tests and appointments for blood tests at Harpenden Memorial can be made online using patient access. 

Online consultation forms are triaged by our team who will aim to respond within 2 working days.

Please complete the form in the patient's name if you are completing it on behalf of somebody else.

 Patients are encouraged to see their own (registered) GP whenever possible. This maximises continuity and efficiency.

We visit housebound patients who need a face to face assessment. However, as with all appointments, we may suggest a telephone or video consultation in the first instance

Whilst we encourage our patients to come to the surgery, where we have the proper equipment and facilities available, we do appreciate this is not always possible. If you need a visit, please call reception before 11.00am to enable us to allocate your call to your own doctor.

You may request a home visit if you are housebound or are too ill to visit the practice. Your GP will visit you at home if they think that your medical condition requires it. They will decide how urgently a visit is needed so please be prepared to provide suitable details to enable the doctor to triage and schedule the visit.

If you wish to leave a message for a GP, you can either use the online consultation service if it is not an emergency or for more urgent issues call the surgery. The receptionist will ask for as much information as possible to enable the GP to deal with the enquiry. Where possible, please ensure we have your correct mobile number as the GP may decide to text you a response.

Most queries are best dealt with by your own doctor or the doctor who has been dealing with your problem and this may mean that the query will not be responded to until that doctor is back in surgery, unless considered an emergency by the duty doctor.

We have an active commitment to medical education and therefore we frequently have GP registrars attached to the practice. These are fully qualified doctors who usually have several years of hospital experience behind them but are now preparing for their own career in general practice.

The registrars are closely supervised by our team of doctors, and will offer similar appointments to the rest of the team - both routine and urgent work.  Very occasionally they may ask you for your consent to video your consultation - this will NOT take place without your prior approval - but it is a very helpful way for the registrar to critique and develop their GP skills. 

At times, we also have medical students and nurses attached to us as part of their undergraduate training.

We work with the other two Harpenden GP practices to provide you with access to medical services for routine problems outside of our normal working hours. These appointments are known as Network Standard Hours and are offered between 7 and 8 am and between 6.30 and 8pm on weekdays, and between 9am to 5pm on Saturdays.  

These appointments could be at any of the three Harpenden practices with a doctor, nurse or health professional from any of the practices or the Harpenden Health Primary Care Network.