While the practice continues to navigate the impact of Covid 19 we ask all patient to only attend the practice where you have a BOOKED appointment or indeed have been instructed by the practice to collect or drop something to us. 

We ask all other requests to be made via the telephone to allow you to be directed by our team on the best approach and avoid unesseary queues at our entrance. 

Our door remains closed to anyone who does not have a scheduled appointment to help protect staff and vulnerable patients who attend the surgery therefore it is important  patients observe this request.

Please also be aware it is a mandatory requirement when attending the practice that a face covering is worn and you are encouraged to bring this with you to allow access to the practice. 

Thank you in advance.

Dr Mallard-Smith and Partners

Please help our staff to help you by providing as much information as possible when requesting an appointment or visit. 

Appointments can be made in person or by telephone during surgery opening hours. While we continue to be affected by the presence of Covid the online appointment booking service is suspended. 

GP appointments are routinely  via the telephone however where the need rises the GP can transform or arrange a face to face appointment or video call where felt appropriate. All initial appointments with the GP are conducted via an initial booked telephone appointment, where a patient wants a face to face appointment our reception team will book an intial telephone appointment and liasie the wishes to the GP to make a decision re changing appointment type.

PLEASE NOTE THE RECEPTIONISTS CANNOT ARRANGE FACE TO FACE APPOINTMENT WITHOUT AUTHORISATION. 

Please note GP appointments are 10 minutes in length, if you feel your problem may take longer please advise the receptionist when booking your appointment.

We will endeavour to offer ‘urgent’ GP appointments on the day you ring; following a review by our triage service performed by our GPs. Where there is a request for an urgent appointment on the day we would encourage all patients to give as much detail to our reception staff to allow your concern to be prioritised correctly by the clinical team. You do not have to give information to the reception team however this may make it more difficult for the clinical team to prioritise your problem and possibly cause a delay in your care. 

Anyone who feels very ill or suspects they are infectious should ring the surgery for advice. 

Should you require a longer appointment than the normal 10 minutes please specify this when booking. Longer appointments are needed for things such as antenatal, cervical smears, injections, contraceptive device appointments, medicals and multiple problems.

In a number of cases it might be worth considering an appointment with a practice nurse rather than a doctor. Practice nurses are qualified to deal with many conditions and you may be seen more quickly. Please speak to member of our team who will help support you get the correct appointment. 

Whilst we encourage our patients to come to the surgery, where we have the proper equipment and facilities available, we do appreciate this is not always possible. In this respect, if you do need a home visit, you can help us by calling reception before 10:00. Visits will not be possible until the afternoon, unless a significant emergency.

You may only request a home visit if you are housebound or are too ill to visit the practice. Your GP will only visit you at home if they think that your medical condition requires it and will also decide how urgently a visit is needed. Please bear this in mind and be prepared to provide suitable details to enable the doctor to schedule house calls

You can also be visited at home by a community nurse if you are referred by your GP. You should also be visited at home by a health visitor if you have recently had a baby or if you are newly registered with a GP and have a child under five years.

We hold early morning and late evening telephone appointments on Monday and Tuesdays. Please contact our reception team to book an appointment. Please note our Saturday clinics are prioritised for commuters and children who are unable to attend during normal opening times.

From 1 October 2022, our Primary Care Network will be providing enhanced access which includes providing services into the evenings and on Saturdays. This will provide patients with more access to a variety of primary care services. This is in line with all GP surgeries across England. 

Among the services available during these extra hours are vaccinations, cervical screening, health checks and medicine reviews, and you will be able to see or speak to a number of clinicians, including nurses, pharmacists and social prescribers. You may be offered one of these options when you contact us about an appointment.   

Some GP appointments may be available during these extra hours. 

The NHS across Mid Chiltern PCN has sought the views of local patients about what and how additional hours could best provide the services they need and we will continue to listen to feedback to make sure we are getting things right. 

Mid Chiltern PCN 

The practice forms part of the Mid Chiltern PCN and works alongside the below surgeries to offer the new Enhanced Access contract. Below are the practices that form Mid Chiltern PCN.

• Amersham Health Centre
• Hughenden Valley Surgery
• John Hampden Surgery
• Prospect House
• Rectory Meadow Surgery
• FedBucks Improved Access Hubs located at Wycombe Hospital, Stoke Mandeville Hospital and Threeways Surgery, Stoke Poges (Sundays and Bank Holiday weekends only).

All appointments need to be pre-booked, either in advance or on the day.

How to book an Improved Access appointment

Ring your GP Surgery as normal. If you would like an Improved Access appointment, the reception staff will tell you where clinics are being held on what day, and the times of the available appointments. A convenient appointment will be booked for you. If you use this service, it is very likely that you will be seen by a clinician from another surgery and not your own GP. The receptionist at your GP surgery will be able to provide details on this service to help you book an appointment.

This is NOT a walk in service – if you need urgent medical advice after 18:30, please phone NHS 111. NHS 111 will enable you to talk to a GP and book an urgent GP appointment if necessary. You can also use our local online symptom checker, Health Help Now (http://bucks.healthhelpnow.nhs.uk/) to help to find the right service in Buckinghamshire for your health needs.

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 have signed up to SMS appointment alerts you will be able to respond to the appointment reminder to auto cancel your appointment if you are unable or no longer require the appointment. 

DNA Policy

Due to an increase in the number of wasted appointments through patients failing to attend appointments without informing the surgery, it has become necessary to implement a strict Did Not Attend Policy. If you repeatedly fail to attend appointments you may be removed from this practice list and required to find an alternative doctor. If you cannot attend your appointments for any reason please let us know as soon as possible, giving at least 24 hours' notice. We can then offer the appointment to someone else.

DNA Policy - Practice Policy

Please note: If you are more than 10 minutes late for your appointment it is likely you may be asked to re-book an alternative appointment. (This does not apply if you're not late but the appointment is behind schedule.) 

If you would like a chaperone present during your consultation, please advise the receptionist when booking your appointment or checking in.

Please see our Chaperone Policy for further information - The John Hampden Surgery Chaperone Practice Protocol

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.