Westminster Surgery is committed to providing our patients with the right care, at the right time. It is often thought that the GP is the first port of call when dealing with an illness or a problem, but sometimes this is not the case.

We work closely with a wide range of care providers with various areas of expertise, often meaning issues can be dealt with more effectively – and usually sooner – by other members of our primary care team.

Because of this, when you call the surgery the receptionist will ask you for a brief description of your problem to ensure that you are directed to the appropriate clinician.

There are also a number of conditions that can be managed by our GP over the phone or by e-consult. By listening to your symptoms and history, we can sometimes agree to write a prescription to be collected later in the day.

Alternatively, we can issue a referral to another service, or just reassure you that you have nothing to worry about, which saves you having to come to the surgery at all!

With this in mind, please don’t be alarmed if when you call for an appointment you are told that a Doctor will call you back. This is only so that we can make sure that we are looking after you in the most effective way.