Appointments
There are different ways to get medical help from a clinician, depending on your needs and preferences.
A face-to-face appointment may not always be necessary. Other clinicians such as Advanced Nurse Practitioners may also deal with issues for which patients may previously have seen Doctors.
Online consultations
You can contact our clinical team through eConsult, our online consultation system, from any internet-connected device. You can check your symptoms, get self-help advice or send a message directly to the practice team. Messages will be checked during work hours, and we will get back to you within 2 working days.
A clinician may invite you to book an appointment or suggest another form of treatment. Often, our team can resolve common patient issues without you needing to visit the surgery.
eConsult is quick, secure and easy to use. Many patients enjoy the instant access, flexibility and quick resolutions it offers.
Requesting an appointment in person or over the phone
If you would like an appointment, please call 0191 2986060 or visit us at Meldon Street.
You may be asked about your issue by a member of our practice team. Staff do this to direct you to the best person to help with your problem. Staff are trained to do this, and anything you say to them is confidential.
Standard appointments are 10 minutes and for one patient and one issue. If you think you will need more time, you may need to request a double appointment.
We will always try to accommodate requests for specific times or clinicians, but please be aware that some options may not be available or may lead to a longer wait.
Urgent Appointments
To request an urgent appointment for today or tomorrow (weekdays), call 0191 2986060, visit us, or use eConsult. We are open today 8:00 am to 6:30 pm.
Please provide as much information as possible. If we agree an urgent appointment is needed, we will try to book you in as soon as possible.
Routine Appointments
To request a routine appointment:
- Use eConsult. (Please note that all eConsults are triaged and you will be booked with the most appropriate clinician or advised of the most appropriate service for your problem)
- Call us on 0191 2986060, visit the surgery and speak with a Receptionist. We are open 8:00 am to 6:30 pm.
- Use your NHS account (through the NHS website or NHS App) to book a screening test or vaccination.
Home Visits
We offer home visits to our registered house bound patients who are unable to get into the surgery. If you require a home visit, please call the surgery on 0191 2986060 and our trained reception team will take your details and reason for this visit and pass this onto our duty GP on the day. If this is something the GP feels can be dealt with via a telephone call, they will call you first.
Home visit requests are asked to be submitted as early on in the day as possible as visits are done between 11:00-13:30. If the request is submitted in the afternoon, the GP will triage this and if this is urgent for the same day, they will call you first.
Your request will be triaged by the GP and assigned to the most appropriate clinician. You may have a visit by a GP, ANP, Paramedic or a Community nurse.
Cancelling Appointments
If you know you won’t be able to attend a scheduled appointment or no longer need the one you have booked, please make every effort to let us know.
Please contact us on 0191 2986060 or at elswickfamily.practice@nhs.net. We are open 8.00am until 6.30pm Monday to Friday (Thursday opens 7.00am), closed Wednesday between 12.00pm–1.00pm.
You may also be able to amend or cancel an appointment using the NHS App or through SystmOne, Accurx, if you are signed up for those services.
By cancelling your unneeded appointment, we can offer the slot to another patient who needs it.
Book online with SystmOnline or through the NHS App
Available appointments can also be viewed, booked and amended or cancelled using either SystmOnline or the NHS App.