Contact us with Patchs
You can contact a doctor, nurse or other healthcare professional online using a website called Patchs.
Urgent appointments
Some same day appointments are available from 7am.
To request an urgent appointment for today or tomorrow (Monday to Friday) during opening times:
- phone us on The Sutton Surgery 01744 811211 or Thatto Heath Surgery 01744 811211
When you get in touch, we’ll ask what you need help with.
We will use your answers to choose the most suitable doctor, nurse or healthcare professional to help you.
Routine appointments
To request a routine appointment in advance during opening times:
- phone us on The Sutton Surgery 01744 811211 or Thatto Heath Surgery 01744 811211
- use your NHS account (through the NHS website or NHS App) or Patient Access to book an appointment, screening test or vaccination
When you get in touch, we’ll ask what you need help with.
We will use your answers to choose the most suitable doctor, nurse or healthcare professional to help you.
Telephone consultations with GPs are available for advice, results or follow-up to some consultations. The reception staff are trained to direct you to the most appropriate service if you provide brief details of your requirements.
Get medical advice from a nurse
To ask a non-urgent medical question:
- fill out an ask a nurse a question form
We will respond within 2 working days during opening times.
Other ways to get help
Enhanced access
This practice is part of St Helens South Primary Care Network (PCN), who are providing early morning, evening and weekend appointments for our patients. These appointments are in addition to those provided by the practice and are generally used for routine, non-urgent care.
This enhanced access service provides a range of pre-bookable appointment types covering normal GP & ANP appointments and routine nursing care such as annual reviews and smears, as well as more specialised appointments for physio, podiatry, mental health, pharmacists and social prescribers:
- Monday, 6:30pm to 9pm, GP and ANP appointments
- Tuesday, 7am to 11am, GP appointments
- Tuesday, 6:30pm to 9pm, GP, ANP and social prescribing appointments
- Wednesday, 6:30pm to 9pm, GP, ANP, social prescribing and pharmacy appointments
- Thursday, 6:30pm to 9pm, GP, podiatry, practice nurse appointments
- Friday, 6:30pm to 9pm, GP appointments
- Saturday, 9am to 5pm, various appointments which can change each week and may include specialist clinics, such as coil fitting and removal
Please note the Monday to Friday sessions are held remotely, via telephone, apart from the practice nurse and podiatry clinic which will be held at Rainhill Village Surgery.
The face to face appointments on Saturdays will be held at the following venues:
- Rainhill Village Surgery
529 Warrington Road, Rainhill, L35 4LP - The Spinney Medical Centre
Whittle Street, St Helens, Merseyside, WA10 3EB
To make an appointment, please contact the surgery, and you will be offered an enhanced access service where appropriate.
Your appointment
However you choose to contact us, we may offer you a consultation:
- by phone
- face to face at the surgery
- on a video call
- by text or email
Appointments by phone, video call or by text or email can be more flexible and often means you get help sooner.
SMS text messaging
SMS text messaging is available for appointment reminders and some pathology results. To activate this service, please contact a member of the reception team.
Cancelling or changing an appointment
If you cannot attend an appointment for any reason please inform us as soon as possible in order for us to give the slot to someone else.
To cancel your appointment:
- use your NHS account (through the NHS website or NHS App)
- use the GP online system: Patient Access
- phone us on The Sutton Surgery 01744 811211 or Thatto Heath Surgery 01744 811211 during opening times
If you need help when we are closed
Please do not call the 24 hour duty doctor except in emergencies.
In an emergency: please phone the surgery as normal. If you need to see a doctor you will be asked to attend an out of hours emergency centre. Your call will be recorded.
Other sources of help
Out of hours services are generally busy so please think carefully before asking to see a doctor and only do so if you genuinely cannot wait until the surgery reopens.
If you need medical help now, use NHS 111 online or call 111.
NHS 111 online is for people aged 5 and over. Call 111 if you need help for a child under 5.
Contact the local NHS walk in centre at The Millennium Centre, Bickerstaffe Street, St Helens.
The opening hours are:
- 7am to 10pm, Monday to Saturday
- 9am to 10pm, Sunday
Phone
01744 627400
Call 999 in a medical or mental health emergency. This is w
If you need help with your appointment
Please tell us:
- if there’s a specific doctor, nurse or other health professional you would prefer to respond
- if you would prefer to consult with the doctor or nurse by phone, face-to-face, by video call or by text or email
- if you need an interpreter
- if you have any other access or communication needs
Home visits
Whilst we encourage our patients to come to the surgery, where we have the proper equipment and facilities available, we do appreciate this is not always possible. In this respect, if you do need a home visit, you can help us by calling reception before 11am.
You may only request a home visit if you are housebound or are too ill to visit the practice. Your GP will only visit you at home if they think that your medical condition requires it and will also decide how urgently a visit is needed. Please bear this in mind and be prepared to provide suitable details to enable the doctor to schedule house calls
You can also be visited at home by a community nurse if you are referred by your GP. You should also be visited at home by a health visitor if you have recently had a baby or if you are newly registered with a GP and have a child under five years.