Opening Hours

The surgery is open Monday to Friday 8.30am – 5.30pm.  Each Tuesday & Thursday book in advance appointments are available from 6.00pm - 7.30pm. The doctors undertaking these sessions will vary.  Please enquire at reception for details.

Consulting Hours

Appointments

Appointments are generally ten minutes long.  We will try to fit you in with the doctor of your choice as soon as possible.  Please let us know if you are unable to keep an appointment. 

Please do not "squeeze" other members of your family into your slot.  Please try not to save up several problems for one appointment.  If you require a longer appointment please ask when booking. 

Appointments can either be booked up to two weeks in advance (non-urgent or review appointments) or booked on the day (acute or urgent problems). 

 Click Here to book/cancel your appointment online

Doctors may request that patients telephone them so that progress can be monitored without face to face consultation.

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Enquiries and Advice

Sometimes it is necessary to speak to the doctor by phone. He/she may not be available and you will usually be asked to provide a telephone number for the doctor to contact you at a more convenient time. For results of investigations, please phone between 2.00 to 4.00pm 

Home Visits

If you are not well enough to come to the surgery, you may ask for a home visit.  Please always try to telephone 0191 384 6171 before 10.30am.  In the case of an emergency you may contact the surgery at any time. 

Home visits are arranged for patients too ill or infirm to attend the surgery.  Home visit requests are assessed and prioritised by the doctor on call.

Test Results

Tests you have done are normally processed at the laboratories at University Hospital of North Durham. This will take a few days, following which they will be returned to our surgery for comment by your doctor. 

The result should usually be ready for you 7 days after having your tests.

Please could you telephone the surgery for your results on: 01913846171 between 2.00- 4.00 pm Monday – Friday

If your result is normal you will be given the result over the telephone by one of the reception staff. If the doctor needs to speak to you about the result, you will be asked to either make an appointment with the doctor or will be asked to ring back at a mutually convenient time.

The most common tests are described below:

• FBC- A test looking at the blood cells, often used to exclude anaemia
• ESR- A test that looks for inflammation in the body
• U & E- Testing for the kidney function and salts in the body
• LFT- Tests the liver function and inflammation
• TFT- Tests the activity of the thyroid gland
• CHOLESTEROL/LIPIDS- Measures the fatty levels in the blood
• LH/FSH- Measures hormone levels raised after the menopause
• MSU- A test looking for infection in the bladder
• URATE- A test for gout
• IM/GLANDULAR FEVER- Specific tests for glandular fever
• HBA1C- Measures the average sugar level over the last few weeks and months
• ANTENATAL BLOODS- Blood group/rubella immunity and specific infections
• AUTOANTIBODIES/RHEUMATOID FACTOR- Tests for proteins that result in damage to specific tissues in the body
• SWABS- Tests that detect whether an infection is present and if detected which antibiotic is appropriate