At Horizon Healthcare, we are committed to helping patients receive the right care, from the right person, at the right time.
As one of Derby’s largest GP practices, we care for over 29,000 patients across our Burton Road and Mackworth sites. Every day we receive hundreds of requests for appointments, prescriptions, test results, fit notes and general enquiries. Our teams process thousands of patient requests each month and work hard to ensure patients receive the support they need as quickly and safely as possible.
How Can I Contact The Practice?
Patients can contact us in a number of ways:
- By telephone
- Through our online forms
- By visiting reception
- Through SMS links and invitations sent by the practice
Our aim is to make accessing healthcare as convenient and straightforward as possible while ensuring urgent problems are identified quickly and routine requests are directed appropriately.
What Happens After I Contact The Practice?
Every request follows a similar process:
Contact the Practice
↓
Information Collected
↓
Request Reviewed
↓
Directed to the Most Appropriate Service
↓
Advice, Appointment, Investigation or Referral
This process helps ensure patients receive the right care from the right person as quickly as possible.
Why Might I Not Be Offered A GP Appointment?
Not every health concern requires an appointment with a GP.
Many patients can receive faster help from another member of the healthcare team, such as:
- Practice Nurses
- Clinical Pharmacists
- First Contact Physiotherapists
- Mental Health Practitioners
- Community Services
- Pharmacy First Services
Directing patients to the most appropriate clinician helps ensure GP appointments remain available for those who need them most.
Why Do We Ask Questions Before Offering An Appointment?
To ensure patients receive the most appropriate care, we need to understand the reason for their request before deciding on the best next step.
When you contact us about a medical problem, we may ask questions about your symptoms or ask you to complete an online form. This information helps us understand your needs, identify any urgent concerns and direct you to the most appropriate clinician or service.
Asking questions does not prevent access to care. It helps ensure patients receive the right care from the right person at the right time.
Depending on your circumstances, this may include:
- Advice and self-care
- Community pharmacy support, including Pharmacy First
- An appointment with another healthcare professional
- A routine appointment
- A same-day assessment where clinically appropriate
Not every health concern requires a GP appointment, and many patients can receive faster help from another suitably qualified member of the healthcare team.
Why Do You Ask Me To Complete An Online Form?
Online forms allow us to gather the information needed to deal with your request safely and efficiently.
They help us:
- Understand your problem before contacting you
- Direct your request to the correct team
- Reduce the need for patients to repeat information
- Process administrative requests more quickly
Many requests can be completed without the need for an appointment.
Can I Still Speak To A Receptionist?
Yes.
We understand that some patients prefer to speak to someone directly.
Our reception team are highly trained in patient access and care navigation. While they are not clinically trained and cannot assess medical conditions, they play an important role in helping patients access the most appropriate service.
We continue to invest in our reception team and patient access services to support our growing patient population.
How Does Our Automated Telephone System Work?
Our telephone system is designed to give patients access to services 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Depending on the type of request, patients may be able to:
- Request a fit note
- Submit a prescription query
- Obtain information about appointments
- Access self-service options
- Be directed to the most appropriate service
For requests that require further review, information is passed to the relevant team for action during practice opening hours.
How Quickly Will I Receive A Response?
Response times vary depending on the nature of the request.
Urgent medical concerns are prioritised appropriately.
Routine and administrative requests are reviewed by the relevant team and processed as quickly as possible.
Where possible, we encourage patients to provide as much information as possible when submitting a request to help avoid delays.
Why Might I Be Directed To Another Service?
Healthcare is increasingly delivered by a range of skilled professionals and services.
You may be directed to:
- Community Pharmacy
- Pharmacy First
- Physiotherapy Services
- Mental Health Services
- NHS 111
- Hospital Services
- Community Teams
This helps ensure you receive the most appropriate care as quickly as possible.
Our Commitment To Patients
We are committed to:
- Providing safe, effective and patient-centred care
- Improving access to services
- Offering multiple ways to contact the practice
- Using technology to improve patient experience
- Continually reviewing and improving our services
We understand that every patient is different and we aim to provide flexible ways to access the care and support you need.
If you would like to provide feedback or suggestions about our services, we would be pleased to hear from you through our Patient Participation Group or feedback channels.