Appointments

Pharmacy First

A GP appointment may not always be the best thing for you as most Minor Illnesses can be treated by your local pharmacy. They can also prescribe antibiotics if needed and will advise you if you need to be seen at the practice.

The NHS Pharmacy First service allows pharmacists to treat and supply medicines for seven common conditions, plus provide advice and support for a wide range of minor illnesses.

Seven Main Conditions

Under the Pharmacy First scheme, pharmacists can assess, treat, and supply prescription medicines for the following conditions within specific age ranges:

  • Earache – ages 1 to 17 years
  • Impetigo – ages 1 year and over
  • Infected insect bites – ages 1 year and over
  • Shingles – ages 18 years and over
  • Sinusitis – ages 12 years and over
  • Sore throat – ages 5 years and over
  • Uncomplicated urinary tract infections (UTIs) – women aged 16 to 64 years
    Patients outside these age ranges can still receive advice and over-the-counter treatments, but may need to see a GP for prescription medicines

Additional Minor Illnesses and Advice

Pharmacists can also provide guidance, treatment, or referrals for a broader range of minor conditions, including Patient+1:

  • Aches and pains – back pain, headache, period pain
  • Colds, flu, and other infections – cough, congestion, fever
  • Ear care – earwax removal, minor ear infections
  • Eye care – conjunctivitis, styes
  • Hay fever – if not controlled by standard over-the-counter treatments
  • Rashes and skin problems – athlete’s foot, cold sores, mild eczema or psoriasis
  • Stomach issues – constipation, diarrhoea, indigestion

How the Service Works

  • Patients can walk into a participating pharmacy or book a consultation.
  • Pharmacists follow clinical pathways developed with GPs, NICE, and other health experts to ensure safe care 
  • They provide self-care advice, safety-netting, and, if appropriate, prescription-only medicines without needing a GP appointment.
  • If a condition is more serious, pharmacists will refer patients to a GP or hospital.
  • The service also includes support for healthy living, vaccinations, contraception, and monitoring blood pressure

Request your GP appointment online

The government advised all practices that from October 2025 we had to offer online appointment requesting to all patients. This has reduced the number of appointment available to book via reception but does allow you to explain your issue in your own time so we can then review it and offer you the most appropriate advice. This may be a face to face/telephone appointment but may also be a blood test, a prescription or an x-ray or you may be signposted to alternative service who are better suited for you.
The provider we use to offer this service may change.

Please give us as much information as possible when using this service to allow us to safely assess your request. Please also provide your availability so we can make sure we do not waste anyones time by offering you something that is not suitable

Request Your Appointment

eConsult is one way to request a routine appointment. Choose the most appropriate option for your condition and give us as much information as possible, including photos if necessary. The more information you provide, the better we can assess and offer the most suitable treatment. This may be a blood test, an x-ray, a referral, a telephone or face to face appointment with a member of the practice team or with another local community team.

eConsults received before 9am will be reviewed that day and you will receive a response within a timeframe appropriate to your condition.

Click on the button below for videos to show how you can use the eConsult service.

How to Use eConsult
Request a medical Certificate

Please also use eConsult to request a medical certificate, sometimes called a Sick or Fit note. Please note we are only able to complete these for absences of 7 working days or more. Patient how to: Request a sick note / fit note from your practice | eConsult Help Centre

Do a medication review

You can also use eConsult to do a medication review. Click this button to review your medication. Choose the option that best suits you, answer the questions and submit. We will contact you if we need further information.

SYSTMConnect

If eConsult is not suitable or if asked to by a member of Cuckoo Lane Staff, please try SystmConnect by clicking the green button. This is a new service that links directly to our clinical system. There are limited areas this covers as we are rolling it out slowly to ensure we have enough capacity to handle submissions.

SYSTMConnect

Please note that this system is still in development and we are working on how to manage this in the practice. Until we have robust systems in place users use this service at their own risk.

By Phone

If you are unable to use eConsult, you can book an appointment by calling reception on 020 8567 4315. Reception will advise on the most suitable option for you.

In Person

Patients can visit the surgery and book an appointment with the receptionist.

NHS 111

NHS 111 is a service that’s been introduced to make it easier for you to access local NHS healthcare services in England. You can call 111 when you need medical help fast but it’s not a 999 emergency. NHS 111 is a fast and easy way to get the right help, whatever the time.

NHS 111 is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Calls are free from landlines and mobile phones.

When to use it

You should use the NHS 111 service if you urgently need medical help or advice but it’s not a life-threatening situation. Call 111 if:

You need medical help fast but it’s not a 999 emergency.

You think you need to go to A&E or need another NHS urgent care service.

You don’t know who to call or you don’t have a GP to call.

You need health information or reassurance about what to do next

What is an Emergency?

Whatever the time of day, if you or someone else experiences the symptoms below and you feel it is serious and could be life threatening, so cannot wait, go to the nearest Accident and Emergency (A&E) Department or call 999.

Symptoms include

Chest pain

Severe abdominal pain

Vomiting blood

Black stools

Breathlessness

Non-blanching rashes (the glass test)

Possible anaphylactic shock (swelling of mouth and throat)

Emergencies will be dealt with as a priority.

A&E

The nearest A&E department is at Ealing Hospital, however you can also use the NHS Choices search tool, to find the nearest A&E to you.

Paediatrics A&E

Please be aware that the Ealing Hospital A&E cannot treat children. The below hospitals have Paediatrics A&E:

Hillingdon Hospital, Pield Heath Rd, Uxbridge UB8 3NN

West Middlesex University Hospital, Twickenham Rd, Isleworth TW7 6AF

St Mary’s Hospital, Praed St, London W2 1NY

Northwick Park Hospital, Watford Rd, Harrow HA1 3UJ

Chelsea and Westminster, 369 Fulham Road, London, SW10 9NH

NHS 111 Urgent Care Services

Call 111 if you need medical help fast, but it’s not life-threatening. For example, if you;

Think you need to go to hospital

Don’t know who to call for medical help

Don’t have a GP to call

Need medical advice or reassurance about what to do next

We do understand that sometimes you may forget your appointment, or that other important life incidents happen and that you sometimes no longer need the appointment. We do ask that if you cannot attend your appointment, please cancel it or notify the practice why you did not attend at your earliest convenience.

We have a large number of people who do not attend their appointments every single week leading to wasted doctor and nurse time, leading to delays in you being able to get an appointment.

You can telephone us on 020 8567 4315, cancel via Airmid, or come in and speak to Reception.

Please let us know well in advance if you cannot make your appointment so that it may be allocated to another patient.

Patients who persistently miss their appointments will be written to, to warn that if they continue to miss appointments they risk being removed from our practice list.

It is clinically better for you to be seen at the surgery where we have better facilities, diagnostic aids and lighting to assess you. We work closely with Ealing Community Transport to bring patients to the surgery where possible.

Home visits are ONLY for housebound patients and for those too ill to attend the surgery. Home visits are not for those who do not have transport.

If you need a home visit please contact the surgery as early as possible in the morning, before 10:00, and give one of our receptionists details. Our Nursing team will call you back for more information and confirm whether a home visit is appropriate depending on the urgency of your needs. Home visits will be directed to your own GP where possible.