Emergencies

If there is a medical emergency at home during the working day, call the surgery reception and you will be put through to speak with a doctor as soon as possible.

More advice on medical emergencies is available at the NHS Direct website

Do I need to call 999?

Please only dial 999 or go to your nearest Accident & Emergency if the illness or injury is life threatening or can't wait. You should dial 999 immediately if you or someone else is seriously ill. For example if someone

• has had a major accident
• has problems with breathing
• has severe chest pains
• is unconscious
• has lost a lot of blood

At all other times, NHS Direct 0845 46 47 can tell you what to do if you or your family are feeling ill. Depending upon what is wrong with you, NHS Direct could tell you how to self-care, get in touch with the out of hours GP service, go to a walk-in centre or go to hospital. NHS Direct may need to call an ambulance for you if they think you need help quickly.

Out-of-hours care

Between the hours of 6.30 pm and 8.00 am weekdays, as well as weekends and bank holidays, the care of patients is the responsibility of the Primary Care Trust.

The practice belongs to a co-operative service Suffolk Doctors on Call (SDOC).

If you require urgent medical attention phone the surgery number and you call will automatically be transferred to SDOC.

Do I really need to contact a doctor?

Please only use the out-of-hours service if your medical condition is such that you cannot possibly wait until the surgery opens again. The provision of an out-of-hours service costs local health authorities a lot of money and its resources are stretched by inappropriate use and patients who really need attention might have to wait longer.