Appointments

Patients can now get treatment for seven common conditions directly from their local pharmacy, without the need for a GP appointment or prescription.
The Pharmacy First scheme was launched by the government and NHS England to give patients quick and accessible care and ease pressure on GP services. Pharmacists can now treat and prescribe medication for the following common conditions and ailments:

• Earache – 1 to 17 years
• Impetigo – 1 year and older
• Infected insect bites – 1 year and older
• Shingles – 18 years and older
• Sinusitis – 12 years and over
• Sore throat – 5 years and over
• Uncomplicated urinary tract infections – Women 16 to 64 years

You can get treatment for these conditions by visiting the pharmacy or contacting them virtually. 

GP receptionists, NHS 111 and providers of emergency care will also be able to direct patients to pharmacies, that offer the service, if contacted.

For more information please see the Department of Health and Social Care website

Pharmacists can also can provide advice and over-the-counter medication for various common conditions such as coughs, colds, flu, as well as everyday issues like aches, pains, and skin rashes. No appointment is necessary to see a pharmacist, and they will let you know if you need to see a doctor. Many pharmacies are open evenings and weekends, and often provide private consultation rooms where you can discuss issues without being overheard.

To find your nearest pharmacy and check opening times, visit the NHS find a pharmacy service

Many minor illnesses and injuries can be treated at home with medicines you can buy without a prescription and by getting plenty of rest.

Taking care of yourself is the best choice for a sore throat, cough, or a grazed knee.

If you're not sure if you should take care of your illness yourself, you can call us on 01780 437 017 or get medical advice from the NHS 111 website or call 111.

If you have an acute medical issue or feel you need to be seen today.

Check our opening hours

When you call, our receptionist will ask for a brief description of your acute medical issue and a contact number. Every one of our calls is prioritised based on clinical urgency and need; an appointment may be booked, or a clinician may call you back at a pre-arranged time to discuss the best course of action. Depending on the nature of your medical issue, resolving it over the phone may be possible, or if needed, we'll arrange an appointment later in the day.

• Telephone: 01780 437 017
• Visit in person

If your condition is non-urgent, you have the option to book a routine appointment up to two weeks in advance with a doctor, or up to six weeks in advance with a nurse or other healthcare professional.

• Nurses based at our practice treat patients for a wide range of common conditions.
• Let us know if more than one person in the family needs to be seen; we can give you a longer appointment if necessary.
• Tell us if you want someone to accompany you during an examination or need a private room to discuss any matters. 

Ways to request a routine appointment:

• Use Anima
• Use SystmOnline
• Telephone: 01780 437 017
• Visit in person

We are part of the Four Counties Primary Care Network that provides ‘enhanced access appointments’ between 6.30pm to 8pm Mondays to Fridays and 9am to 5pm on Saturdays.

These appointments will be offered across the Primary Care Network covering Stamford Surgery and the Hereward Practice in Bourne. Your appointment may be a telephone call, video call or a face-to-face appointment and you will be advised of the location when the appointment is booked.

As our sites may not be physically open during these hours, patients will be unable to have general queries answered or dealt with during enhanced access opening times.

You must give your employer a doctor's 'fit note' (sometimes called a 'sick note') if you've been ill for more than 7 days in a row and have taken sick leave. This includes non-working days, such as weekends and bank holidays.

Visit our Sickness Certificates page

Information and advice for travelling abroad.

Visit our Travel Information page

While 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 feel that you do need a home visit please call our Reception teams to request one before 10:30am.

You should only request a home visit if you are housebound or are too ill to visit the practice. Your GP will only visit you at home if they think that your medical condition requires it and will also decide how urgently a visit is needed. Please note that the doctor may telephone you rather than visit you if this is medically appropriate.

You can also be visited at home by a community nurse if you are referred by your GP.

NHS 111 is a fast and easy way to get the right help, whatever the time, and is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Calls to NHS 111 are free from landlines and mobile phones.
If you have difficulties communicating or hearing, you can call 18001 111 on a textphone, use the NHS 111 British Sign Language (BSL) interpreter service if you’re deaf and want to use the phone service.

If you require urgent medical attention that isn't life-threatening, you can go to an urgent treatment centre. These centres, led by GPs, are open for at least 12 hours every day, including bank holidays. They can diagnose and treat various common ailments including sprains and strains, suspected broken limbs, minor head injuries, cuts and grazes, minor scalds and burns, feverish illness in adults, feverish illness in children, and abdominal pain.

To find your nearest urgent treatment centre and check opening times, visit 'find an urgent treatment centre'

Visit an A&E department (also known as the emergency department or casualty) for genuine life-threatening emergencies. These may include conditions such as loss of consciousness, an acute confused state, fits that are not stopping, chest pain, and breathing difficulties.

Less severe injuries can be treated at urgent care centres.

To find your nearest A&E, visit 'find an A&E'

If our services are unavailable, you can get medical advice from the NHS 111 website or call 111. This service will direct you to the most appropriate local healthcare option.

If you are unable to keep your appointment, please give us as much notice as possible so that your appointment can be offered to someone else.

If you are cancelling please telephone us on 01780 437 017 (Sheepmarket) or 01780 764 121 (St Mary's) as soon as possible, and at least 30 minutes before your appointment time. To save waiting on the telephone you can now leave a cancellation message by selecting option 1 when calling the surgery.  This will enable us to offer your appointment to someone else.

Cancellations notified less than 30 minutes before the appointment time will be recorded as failure to attend (DNA).

Repeated failure to attend booked appointments is a significant waste of NHS resources and may lead to your registration being removed from our list.

We have Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras at both Sheepmarket and St. Mary’s Surgery

How it works:

1. As you enter the car park, the ANPR camera automatically captures your vehicle’s registration number.
2. Park your vehicle in an available space.
3. Within 10 minutes of arrival at St Mary’s Surgery and within 30 minutes of arrival at Sheepmarket Surgery, use one of the iPads in reception to register your vehicle’s registration number.
4. Follow the on-screen instructions to register. If you need assistance, our patient service advisors are available to help.
5. When you’re ready to leave, return to your vehicle.
6. Proceed to the car park exit.

Please note that parking is free for our patients and visitors, and there is a two-hour maximum time limit for parking.

Remember that the car park is managed by an external operator, so it’s essential to follow these steps. Failure to do so may result in a parking charge notice, which, unfortunately, we cannot dispute on your behalf and from which we do not receive any funds. You can find further information on their website Total Parking Solutions.