Before we see you, we need to ask a few simple questions about your problem, including how long you have had it and when it would be convenient for us to see you.

If you phone a member of the reception team will ask you these questions - but using the online system means you can use a simple form and also attach a photo if you think it would be helpful. The practice member you speak to will have all the information at their finger-tips

You will help us by freeing up the phones for those patients who are the most vulnerable and find it most difficult to get through to us. 

The online appointment sytem is available here. 

Don't use the online system if you have:

• Crushing chest pain and tightness
• New drooping on one side of the face, slurred speech, difficulty raising your arms, weakness or numbness on one side of your body
• Severe difficulty breathing
• Heavy Bleeding that won't stop
• Severe injuries
• Feeling suicidal, wanting to harm yourself, or others
• Low back pain with altered sensation in your genitalia/private parts and/or incontinence
• A painful red eye with loss of vision or altered vision or sensitivity to light

If the problem is medically urgent, please ring the surgery between 8.00 am and 10.00 am and the doctor will assess you. Please cancel your appointment if you cannot attend, so that we can offer the appointment to another patient. 

You can phone us on 0208 806 1928

Longer Appointments

We offer extended appointments for patients who need more time to review their health. These can be with a doctor, nurse or pharmacist and can be for doing a long-term condition review, medication review and learning disability review. Please ask our staff about how to book these.

Available 8am - 6.30pm MONDAY – FRIDAY (excluding bank holidays)

This service offers you quick access to your GP practice, where they know you and have your full medical record. We recommend this service instead of going to A&E at the hospital.

1. Phone the surgery and explain to reception that you have an urgent problem
2. Reception will ask the nature of your problem and can then put you on the Duty Doctor list
3. The Duty Doctor will ring you back within 2 hours
4. The Duty Doctor will decide with you what you need, which could be:

• Advice over the phone
• An appointment at the surgery
• A home visit if you are really not well
• A referral to another service

If you are in urgent need of care and  genuinely housebound, you can request a home visit. Please ring the surgery between 8.00 am and 10.00 am. To help us look after our other patients, please only do so if really necessary.

• On average four to five patients can be seen in surgery in the time it takes to do a single house call.
• The care that can be offered due to the lack of adequate lighting, examination facilities and equipment means that you may not receive as good a service as the doctor may be able to offer if you come to the surgery.

The Riverside Practice can also book an appointment for you at an ‘Extended Access Hub’ and some appointments are available until 8pm on weekdays and at weekends at different GP practices in City & Hackney to see a Doctor, Nurse or HCA. These extended-hours appointments need to be requested by phone by ringing our reception during normal opening hours. 

These include appointments for routine smear tests and nurse appointments.

These appointments do not take place at Riverside, but at one of the practices listed below. We will make sure that staff at this practice have access to your medical records to ensure that you receive the best possible care and support.

• Nightingale Practice: 10 Kenninghall Road,  E5 8BY
• The Hoxton Surgery: 12 Rushton Street, N1 5DR
• Richmond Road Medical Centre: 136 Richmond Road, E8 3HN
• The Neaman Practice: 15 Half Moon Court, EC1A 7HF
• Stamford Hill Group Practice: 2 Egerton Road, N16 6UA

You can find more information about these Extended Access Hub hours here

It is important that you call us you are unable to attend your appointment, this will allow that appointment to be offered to another patient. If you fail to notify the Practice that you are unable to attend, you will be sent a letter informing you that you have defaulted from your appointment. Persistent defaulters maybe removed from the list.

If you used our online system to make an appointment you can use the link sent via text to sent to you to cancel if your appointment has been arranged for more than 24 hours in advance. (excluding weekends and public holidays). You can also text to cancel your appointment.