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Appointments

How to contact the practice

To request an appointment with a Healthcare Assistant (HCA) or Practice Nurse for routine appointments such as blood tests, cervical smears and chronic disease management please select “I have an admin or routine care request” via Contact us online Select option “Routine Care Appointment”.

You can submit medical queries Monday to Friday (excluding Bank Holidays) between 07:30 and 18:30.

Your request will be reviewed by a medical professional, and you will receive a response within 2 working days.

The outcome may include:

  • a prescription
  • a face-to-face appointment
  • a telephone appointment
  • medical advice

If your problem cannot wait up to two working days, please contact NHS 111, 999, or the Urgent Treatment Centre. If you need help completing the online form, please contact our Reception Team, who will be happy to assist you via the telephone on 01206 845900, or in person during between 08:00 and 18:30 Monday to Friday (excluding bank holidays).

Enhanced Access

If you would like an evening or Saturday appointment please request this when submitting your request via AccuRx. We do offer these appointments, and these will be available across the different sites within the PCN (Primary Care Network) between:

  • 18:30 and 20:00 – Monday to Friday
  • 09:00 and 17:00 – Saturdays

Please see the PCN site details that you may be offered an appointment at:

Winstree Medical Practice        84 Winstree Road, Stanway, Colchester CO3 0PZ

Malting Green Surgery              64 Malting Green Road, Layer de la Haye, Colchester CO2 0JJ

Highwoods Surgery                    Highwoods Square, Highwoods, Colchester CO4 9SR

The Lawford Surgery                  2 Edgefield Avenue, Lawford, Manningtree CO11 2HD

Bluebell Surgery        Bluebell Resource Centre, Jack Andrews Drive, Highwoods, Colchester CO4 9YN

Your appointment

Please note that appointments are for 10 minutes only, if you have two significant health issues, please submit two requests via the AccuRx system.

We may offer you a consultation:

  • By phone
  • Face to face at the surgery

Click for more information NHS England – You and Your Practice

Appointment reminder service

An appointment reminder service is now in place to confirm your appointment at the surgery by SMS text message to your mobile phone. This is to help patients remember and reduce the “did not attend” appointments which are wasted. A confirmation text will be sent to your mobile at the time of booking your appointment and a reminder is sent 9am the day before your appointment.

Please complete a consent form if you are happy to receive this service. These are available from reception. This will be saved on your GP record. You can notify us in writing if you wish to retract this at any time.

Cancelling or changing an appointment

To cancel your appointment:

If you need help when we are closed

If you need medical help now, use NHS 111 online or call 111.

NHS 111 online is for people aged 5 and over. Call 999 if you need help for a child under 5.

Call 999 in a medical or mental health emergency. This is when someone is seriously ill or injured and their life is at risk.

If you need help with your appointment

Please tell us:

  • if you need an interpreter
  • if you have any other access or communication needs

Home visits

Home visits are designed for patients who are housebound or physically too ill to attend the surgery and are at the discretion of the doctor. If you require a home visit, please contact Reception on 01206 845900 as early as possible from 8am with as much suitable details to allow the clinicians to access the urgency of a home visit.

Please note that if your request is after 12 o’clock, we may not be able to attend.

Related information

Health A to Z

Sick notes

Test results

Page published: 5 May 2023
Last updated: 30 September 2025