Richmond GP Out of Hours

The service operates between 6.30pm and 8.00am every weekday evening and on weekends from 6.30pm on Friday until 8.00am the following Monday. It also operates on bank holidays and occasionally at others times so your doctor’s surgery can participate in training.

Please contact the out-of-hours service by dialling 111

The service also has access to interpreters.

What do I do if I need medical advice and my surgery is closed?

If you or a family member has a medical condition that needs attention, which you feel cannot wait until your surgery is open and you are registered at a Richmond GP Surgery, please call 111

What happens next?

You will be asked the following questions:

• Patient’s name
• Address
• Date of birth
• Contact number
• The name of the patient’s GP
• Brief details of the medical condition

You will be put through to a call handler at 111 who will discuss your medical condition with you and decide whether or not you need GP advice, need to be seen and/or require a home visit.

Advice from the doctor

In many cases, you may find the advice the doctor can offer will enable you to look after yourself or another family member at home. If necessary, they will make an appointment for you to attend the primary care centre (pcc) at the Oak Lane Medical Centre, Oak Lane, Twickenham, TW1 3PA

if appropriate the doctor may arrange for a home visit to be made. Occasionally, they may refer you to the local Accident and Emergency department, or for an emergency ambulance to come to your home. Your own family doctor will be informed the following working day that you have been advised or seen by the Richmond GP Out Of Hours doctor.

Attendance at a Primary Care Centre

The PCC is located at Oak Lane Medical Centre, Oak Lane, Twickenham, TW1 3PA. The primary care centre is not a walk-in centre – you must have made arrangements to be seen at the primary care centre before attending. The doctor will give you directions if you need them. The centre has consulting rooms and is equipped in a similar way to your own doctor’s surgery.

Patients are seen in order of arrival unless their medical condition is urgent. At present the NHS cannot take patients from home to the primary care centre or reimburse the cost of attending. Most people without a car of their own rely on family members, friends, neighbours or taxis to get to the centre. Richmond Out of Hours Service may be able to offer you a later timed appointment. If this would be more convenient, or if transport difficulties meant you could only attend at a certain time, please explain this to the doctor.

Richmond OOH doctors aim to ensure that vulnerable; often seriously ill patients are visited promptly. This is most likely to be possible if those who are able to agree to travel to the primary care centre to see a doctor.