Emergencies

At all times   01353 624123

During opening hours (from 8.30 - 18.00 Monday to Friday)

If you need to contact us in an emergency, please call 01353 624123.

Your call will be taken by a receptionist who will be able to transfer you to the duty nurse/doctor.

The receptionist will ask you for a brief description of the nature of the emergency as well as the name and address of the patient concerned. This is necessary to be sure that you are put through to the most appropriate person and that the call is handled most appropriately.

Occasionally the nurse or doctor will advise, having spoken to you on the telephone, that immediate hospital admission is the correct course of action and will advise that you go straight to hospital or will organise an ambulance for you. This is especially important for emergencies such as possible heart attacks or strokes - in these situations a delay in treatment may make the condition worse and lead to a reduced chance of recovery.

"Out of hours" - Overnight and weekend emergency medical cover

When we are closed Cambridgeshire NHS is responsible for emergency cover and emergency medical care is provided by Suffolk Doctors on Call (SDOC). When we are closed your call will be automatically diverted to SDOC - alternatively you can call them directly on 01473 299664.

It is important that you telephone SDOC first as they do not offer a walk-in service and the emergency centres are not always manned.

Please remember that this service is only for emergencies or other genuinely urgent medical problems. By its nature there are inevitably times when the service becomes very busy, and this can lead to a considerable wait for advice or treatment.

Remember also that the nurse or doctor that you consult will not have your medical records and will not be able to advise about routine or non urgent medical problems.
Any contacts that you have with SDOC will be notified to the surgery the next morning, and the record of your consultation will be entered into your GP records.

NHS Direct

NHS Direct is an NHS wide telephone based service that can be contacted at any time for  information on any aspect of healthcare or advice from qualified nurses. This service may be used as an alternative to contacting the surgery. NHS Direct is manned 24 hours a day including bank holidays.

Telephone 0845 4647 or visit www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk