Appointments

All appointments should be booked through Klinik.

If you require assistance please contact the practice and we will complete an online form on your behalf.

We do not book appointments at the front desk.

During busy periods Klinik may be temporarily closed, but you can still phone the practice if you have a same day urgent need.

If your appointment is considered urgent, we will arrange for a GP or other Healthcare Professional to see or speak to you on the same day.

You can also visit 111 Online or call NHS 111 for general medical advice.

• Be clear and descriptive about your issue
• Say how urgent your issue is
• If you need a face-to-face appointment, say so
• If there is something that you are worried about, be specific

We aim to give you a routine appointment to see or speak to a GP or other Healthcare Professional within 2 weeks of receiving your online request.

However you choose to contact us, we may offer you a consultation:

• by phone
• face to face at the surgery
• by text or email

Appointments by phone, or by text or email can be more flexible and often means you get help sooner.

We request that you make a separate Online Consultation for each family member.

Your local pharmacist (chemist) is your healthcare expert on the high street.

Pharmacists provide confidential, expert advice and treatment for a range of common health conditions and will be able to help you decide if you need to see a GP or other health service if necessary.

No appointment is needed, and many have separate consulting rooms for completely confidential advice.

Pharmacists can offer advice on a range of illnesses, such as coughs, colds, sore throats, ear infections and aches and pains.

They can also give advice about medicines. This includes how to use your medicine, worries about side effects or any other questions you have.

If they cannot help you themselves, they can refer you to a GP or other health professional.

Think Pharmacy First

Find a Pharmacy

Our online Klinik platform has been updated to include a Pharmacy First Video Consultation option.  This allows patients to self-refer for certain minor conditions, helping to reduce demand on GP appointments.  

There are various ways to cancel your appointment:

• via the NHS App
• reply to your appointment text reminder and follow the instructions
• contact us by telephone on            0117 966 3149 and use the automated service by selecting option 2 from the main menu or option 5 to speak to a navigator
• use our online triage system

We kindly ask that you always try to give 24 hours notice to cancel an appointment.  This will enable to us to offer the slot to someone else who may need it. 

Please note that it is the patient’s responsibility to rebook any cancelled appointments. We are unable to automatically reschedule appointments once they have been cancelled. This helps ensure availability for other patients.

Option 1: NHS 111

If you need medical help outside our surgery hours, use NHS 111 online or Call 111.  You will be directed to the best place to get help, depending on your medical issue. 111 cannot issue fit notes or book, change or cancel an appointment. 

For a BSL interpreter see NHS 111 - SignVideo

NHS 111 online is for people aged 5 and over. Call 111 if you need help for a child under 5.                                                                                        

Option 2:  Urgent Care Centre

This is a nurse/paramedic led service relevant for minor illness, sprains and suspected broken bones. The Urgent Care Centre is open 7 days a week, 8am- 8pm, including bank holidays and is located at South Bristol Community Hospital, Hengrove Promenade, BS14 0DE - Tel: 0300 124 6260

Option 3: 999

If you have chest pain, serious injury or a life threatening emergency always call 999 without delay.

If you are unable to come to the surgery and may need a home visit, please contact us before 12 noon on 0117 966 3149. Please always try to get to the surgery as we can offer more comprehensive care here. 

We ask all patients to come to the surgery to see a doctor unless it is physically impossible for the patient to leave the house at the time of the home visit request. This is because home visits can take up to six times longer than an in-person surgery visit and investigations can be undertaken quickly. You are also more likely to be able to see your usual GP if you attend the surgery, rather than requesting a home visit.

You can also be visited at home by a community nurse if you are referred by your GP/Healthcare professional. You should 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 5 years.

Many valuable appointment slots are missed every month due to failed attendance (DNA - did not attend).  You can cancel your appointment in various ways:

1. Using the NHS App.
2. Replying to your appointment reminder text.
3. Using the automated phone service (“check and cancel” option).
4. Using our online triage system
5. Calling the practice and speaking to our Navigation team (0117 966 3149)
6. Informing our reception team in person.

If the appointment is less than 24 hours away from your time slot, please ALWAYS phone the surgery to cancel; we can then offer the appointment to someone else who may need it.  

DNA Figures September 2025

We kindly ask that patients arrive on time for their appointments.  Missed appointments and late arrivals impact other patients and delay care. We do appreciate that clinicians may sometimes run late due to medical needs of other patients.

Please tell us:

• if you have any other access or communication needs
• if there’s a specific doctor, nurse or other health professional you would prefer to see or speak to
• if you would prefer to consult with the doctor or nurse by phone, face-to-face, or by text or email
• if you require an interpreter please let our Navigators know at the time of booking your appointment. If your appointment is urgent and at short notice, we may not always be able to book an interpreter. In this case you may bring a member of your family or a friend who is able to translate for you
  

  If you are late –  you may not be seen. Please allow plenty of time when travelling to the Practice, particularly if you are using public transport

  Zero tolerance – Please be respectful to other patients and staff when attending the Practice. Disruptive or abusive behaviour will not be tolerated.

At Bedminster Family Practice, we want to make sure all patients have fair access to appointments. Missed appointments (also called Did Not Attend – DNA) reduce availability for others, increase waiting times, and waste NHS resources.

What counts as a DNA?

A DNA is when a patient:

• Does not attend a face-to-face appointment at the surgery.
• Does not answer a scheduled telephone call after at least two attempts.
• Is not present for a scheduled home visit.

Why missed appointments matter

Every missed appointment is time that could have been offered to another patient in need. Repeated DNAs can:

• Delay access to care for others.
• Interrupt continuity of care.
• Increase pressures on staff and services.

Helping reduce missed appointments

• Monthly DNA statistics are published on our website, displayed in the waiting room, and shown on our TV screens to raise awareness.
• Patients are encouraged to keep contact details up to date – please check these at each visit or ask at reception if changes are needed.

If you arrive late

• Please go to reception if you are late and have been unable to check in using the check in screen.

Children and young people

If a child or young person under 18 is not brought to their appointment, this is recorded differently for safeguarding purposes. Parents and carers are responsible for ensuring children attend appointments.

What happens if you miss appointments repeatedly?

• First time: You may receive a text reminder about the importance of cancelling in advance.
• Second time (within 12 months): You may receive an email reminder.
• Third time (within 12 months): You may receive a letter advising that further missed appointments could result in removal from the practice list.

BFP DNA (Did Not Attend) Policy

Need to see us? Here’s how appointments work at Bedminster Family Practice 

When you contact us (by phone or via Klinik), we triage every request. Our clinical team reviews all Urgent, New Health Problem, Mental Health and Back, Bone and Joint or Muscle Problem requests and decides the best action. You will then be offered either advice, self-care tips, or an appointment. This response may be via NHS App, text message, email or phone call depending on your contact preferences.

We will attempt to contact you at least twice, after that if we do not hear from you your request may be closed.

We release GP slots for routine requests 14 days in advance.

We’ve got a few different types of appointments

Urgent (same day)
Got something that can’t wait? We’ll do our best to see you within 24 hours.   
Usually with one of our Advanced Nurse Practitioners (ANPs). If your request is not deemed to be urgent by the clinical triage team then your form will be rejected and you will be advised what to do next.

Routine (Ongoing Health Problem)
Non-urgent requests? You will receive a text advising that you require a routine appointment and we will contact you. Ideally routine requests will be with your GP (ideally your Named GP).
Usually 10 mins — one main issue per visit.
Want only your regular GP? Ask to be added to their waiting list or add this to your clinic request.
Submit ongoing issues through the ‘Ongoing Problem’ tile.
New problems go via the ‘New Problem’ tile.

Nurse / GPA/HCA/Phlebotomist/Blood tests
For jabs, wound care, blood tests, asthma or diabetes reviews, and more.
Book mornings or early afternoons for blood tests.

Pharmacy Referrals

Same-day consultation with a pharmacist — most issues are sorted without needing a GP. If more help’s needed, they’ll advise us whether you need a same-day or routine appointment.

Specialist help
We also have a physio, mental health practitioners, and a wellbeing coach — so you might not always need a GP first.

Extended hours & home visits
Evening/weekend slots available — just let us know what works best.
If you are registered housebound request a home visit early in the day.

Need a bit extra?
Interpreter or BSL support — just ask when booking.

Reasonable adjustments – let us know.
Want a chaperone? No problem.
Can’t make it? Please cancel so someone else can use your spot.