Appointments
Who do I see?
How to book appointments
Pharmacy & Minor Ailments
Pharmacy First – Minor Ailments
Local pharmacies can now assess and treat you with medicines (including antibiotics when appropriate) for a range of conditions without needing a GP review. You can walk-in to any of your local pharmacies for assessments for a range of conditions.
The following conditions, in particular, can be managed by Pharmacy colleagues who will be able to assess and directly issue medications (if needed) to manage this:
- SORE THROAT (for those of age 5 years and over)
- EAR PAIN (for those aged 1 to 17 years)
- UTIs or Urinary tract infections (women aged 16 to 64 years)
- SINUSITIS (aged 12 years and over)
- Infected INSECT bites (aged 1 year and over)
- SHINGLES (aged 18 years and over) – Infection that causes a painful rash
- IMPETIGO (for those of age 1 year and over)
If you are not within these age ranges or present with a different condition, a pharmacist can still offer advice, but you may need to see a GP for treatment.
Find a Pharmacy: Pharmacy Search Tool
Hypertension (Blood Pressure Check) Case Finding Service (HCFS)
Pharmacies can offer a hypertension (blood pressure checking) service by identifying if patients have hypertension (high blood pressure), this is done in two stages: the first is identifying people at risk of hypertension and offering them a blood pressure measurement. The second is where clinically indicated, an ambulatory blood pressure monitor will be offered. This is a 24h blood pressure check.
Pharmacy Contraception Service (PCS)
Pharmacies can offer contraception services by having a consultation with a pharmacist. They may initiate the patient on oral contraceptives to start with as well as perform ongoing monitoring and supply of the prescription.
For further information, please ask your local pharmacy to find out what services they can offer and provide without the need for a GP appointment.
Routine Appointments
As of 23/03/2026, any request for a GP appointment will be reviewed by our medical team first, who will then decide what to do. This new system is often referred to as ‘total triage’. Receptionists will not be able to directly book a GP appointment for you but they can help you with completing the short form to request an appointment.
Ways to book:
The quickest way to contact us with medical or administrative queries is by submitting an online request through the surgery’s website or through the NHS App. You can still telephone your surgery or visit in person. The receptionist will ask you questions about your request to fill out the online form on your behalf. All requests will be assessed as soon as possible and in the same way, regardless of how you contacted the surgery.
Our team aims to review all enquiries within 24 hours. While we may not always contact you on the same working day, please be assured that every message is carefully checked by our GP team. If anything you have submitted is clinically urgent, it will be prioritised, and we will contact you as soon as possible.
Telephone us on 020 8472 4888 or visit in person
Urgent Appointments
As of 23/03/2026, any request for a GP appointment will be reviewed by our medical team first, who will then decide what to do. This new system is often referred to as ‘total triage’. Receptionists will not be able to directly book a GP appointment for you but they can help you with completing the short form to request an appointment.
You can avoid the queues by submitting a request online, making it easier to reach out to your surgery.
Our team aims to review all enquiries within 24 hours. While we may not always contact you on the same working day, please be assured that every message is carefully checked by our GP team. If anything you have submitted is clinically urgent, it will be prioritised, and we will contact you as soon as possible.
By registering all requests through an online form, we are able to prioritise and action requests quickly and fairly, ensuring that you get the right level of care at the right place and the right time.
Ways to book:
The quickest way to contact us with medical or administrative queries is by submitting an online request through the surgery’s website or through the NHS App. You can still telephone your surgery or visit in person. The receptionist will ask you questions about your request to fill out the online form on your behalf. All requests will be assessed as soon as possible and in the same way, regardless of how you contacted the surgery.
Telephone us on 020 8472 4888 or visit in person
Cancel an Appointment
If you are unable to keep your appointment, please give us as much notice as possible so that your appointment can be offered to someone else.
If you are cancelling please telephone us on 020 8472 4888 as soon as possible, and at least 30 minutes before your appointment time. This will enable us to offer your appointment to someone else.
Alternatively you can cancel your appointment online using the Patient Access online service or by downloading the NHS App if you are signed up to the service.
Please remember that there may be a shortage of appointments and when you fail to attend you have prevented someone else from being seen in your place. On average about 230 appointments are missed each month
Cancellations notified less than 30 minutes before the appointment time will be recorded as failure to attend (DNA).
Repeated failure to attend booked appointments is a significant waste of NHS resources.
Extended Access 7 days-a-week service
For patients who are at work or can’t attend an appointment at the practice during the day.
A number of appointments are bookable via your GP or by calling direct on 020 7540 9949
All GP Practices in Newham can book appointments at the Hubs listed below:
- Monday – Friday: Glen Road Medical Centre – 1-9 Glen Road, Plaistow, E13 8RU 6.30pm – 10.00pm
- Saturday: Glen Road Medical Centre – 1-9 Glen Road, Plaistow, E13 8RU 8.00am – 8.00pm
- Saturday: Plashet Medical Centre – 152 Plashet Road, Plaistow, E13 0QT 8.00am – 8.00pm
- Sunday: Glen Road Medical Centre – 1-9 Glen Road, Plaistow, E13 8RU 8.00am – 8.00pm
- Sunday: Westbury Road Surgery – 45 Westbury Road, Forest Gate, E7 8BU 8.00am – 8.00pm
Please contact 020 7540 9949 only if you cannot make an appointment during regular daytime GP surgery hours (usually 08:00 – 18:30 Monday to Friday)
Home visits
We provide home visits for our patients who are totally incapacitated and unable to get to Essex Lodge Surgery for medical reasons.
Please be aware that our GPs will always call to assess the home visit request first.
Wherever possible, it is better to try and come into the practice or have a telephone consultation. The clinician will have live access to your records in both a telephone and face-to-face appointment and there is far more equipment available to hand in a face-to-face appointment, some of which cannot be brought out on a home visit.
If you wish to request a home visit then you must call reception on 020 8472 4888 before 10am if possible.
