eConsult available from 8am until 5pm Monday to Friday. 

We have removed some options from this tab as now we have eConsult which is a more thorough and efficient service for routine queries only. This service guarantees a response time and asks all relevant questions, so nothing is overlooked. Once you click on the eConsult tab you will be asked if it is a clinical or admin request. 

Thank you for your support for this service which is aimed at improving access to our practice for all our patients.

Woodland Avenue Practice.

Receptionists may ask for general information regarding your appointment to ensure the correct type of appointment is booked.

You can:

• Book an appointment in advance (usually up to two weeks ahead).
• Telephone on the day to see if there is an appointment available although you may not always be able to see your chosen doctor.

We now aim to offer more on the day appointments available from surgery opening times for both morning and afternoon. 

On Mondays, most of the doctors’ appointments are bookable on the day. We answer the phones as quickly as possible from 08:00 and the telephone system has been updated to a digital system, providing six lines into reception. This is the maximum number of lines we can have as more staff would be required to answer the telephone. However, due to the large number of telephone calls we receive in a short period of time, appointments are given out fairly quickly. If you are ringing for anything other than a visit or an appointment on a Monday, it might be wise to call after 10:00. 

Our telephone lines are open from 08.00 - 12.00 and 13.30 - 18.30. In busy times you may need to wait in our queing system, but the reception staff endeavour to answer the telephones as quickly as possible. You can book online once registered to do so (register here).

There is only one doctor on duty and if he/she has to visit a patient in an emergency, patients attending surgery will have to wait. We are sure you will understand if this affects you – after all, it could be you or your family who needs the emergency visit. Always telephone before coming to surgery-sometimes advice might save you an unnecessary journey and sometimes the doctor may advise you to go directly to the emergency department.

Chief Nursing Officer for England, Ruth May said: “Face coverings and social distancing measures will remain in place across healthcare settings so that the most vulnerable people can continue to safely attend hospital, their GP surgery, pharmacy or any other healthcare settings for advice, care and treatment.

“And it is important for the public to continue to play their part when visiting NHS and care settings to help protect our staff and patients, particularly those who may be more vulnerable to infections.

“As restrictions are lifted in many places on Monday everyone has a part to play in helping to control Covid by getting vaccinated and acting responsibly.

“It is vital that in healthcare settings, we do all we can to reduce the risk of infection for those working in our services and those who need our care.”

To save you telephone calls, please find below useful hints and tips:

• Reception doors open at 08:15.
• Test results: Please telephone after 14:00 for test results. The reason for this is because we do not wish to block the telephone lines in the mornings. Alternatively, you can request your test results online.

We provide a duty doctor each day who has appointments to deal with urgent situations. An urgent situation is a condition that has come on within the last 24/48 hours and cannot wait until the next day. This means that if you are feeling very ill then you can be seen and treated quickly. Do not use these appointments for anything other than an emergency – if your illness is not an emergency then the doctor may ask you to book a routine appointment at another time. If you are unsure, ask the receptionist – they are trained to advise you on the correct appointment for you.

We will always see a patient on the same day if it is an urgent medical situation. We obviously have to slot in extra appointments to see emergency patients so would ask patients only to ask for such appointments when it is a genuinely urgent problem. Patients asking for such appointments may be put through to the duty doctor for advice before being given an appointment. Also please understand as it is an urgent medical situation it will usually be necessary to see the next available doctor (we cannot promise a particular doctor can see a particular patient).

Offering Routine Appointments in Extended Hours for Health Concerns

Extended Access Service will be available as of 4th September 2018 for all Luton patients to book routine appointments with a GP, Practice Nurse or Healthcare Assistant through Woodland Avenue Practice. This service will operate Monday to Friday Evenings from 18.30-21.00 evenings and Saturday and Sunday mornings from 08.30-14.30 at two local GP Practices. The service will not operate from within our Practice but patients will asked be to attend Medici Medical Centre or Gardenia Medical Centre.

Patients unable to get to clinics at the surgery for Chronic Disease Management such as Asthma, COPD, Diabetes, Hypertension and Rheumatoid Arthritis may attend these clinics to have reviews. New patient medical can also be performed by Healthcare Assistants at this service. Patients can book to see the GP, Practice Nurse or HCA for all other routine matters.

Please ask for more information by contacting our reception team in person or on the phone to book appointments at either Medical Centre should you wish to be seen by a GP, Practice Nurse or Healthcare Assistant who will have full access to your GP records from the surgery.

We will arrange a home visit as appropriate for those patients who are too ill or too infirm to be brought to the surgery. Please do not ask for a home visit unless the patient cannot be brought to the surgery. In particular most children can quite safely be brought to the surgery by car. Please ensure that any request for a home visit reaches the surgery by 10.30am unless a genuine emergency arises later.

We will take responsibility for all our patients equally. We may encourage you to attend surgery if this helps us to deliver care to our other patients. We take full responsibility for our decisions in this respect.

It is important that you inform the reception staff if you are unable to attend your appointment, this will allow that appointment to be offered to another patient. If you fail to notify the Practice that you are unable to attend, you will be sent a letter informing you that you have defaulted from your appointment. Persistent defaulters maybe removed from the list.

You can also complete our appointment cancellation notification request form. This can only be used if your appointment has been arranged for more than 24 hours in advance. (excluding weekends and public holidays). You can also text to cancel your appointment.

We have a texting service which allows you to receive confirmation and reminders about your appointments.

To have this service you will need to register by completing a consent form.

Please remember to update your contact details with us when you change address, telephone numbers and email address.