EBPC Operating Hours
EBPC operates between 6.30pm and 8am every weekday and from 6.30pm on Friday until 8am on Monday. It also operates during Bank Holidays, and occasionally at other times so your doctor’s surgery can take part in educational study days.
How do I contact a Doctor outside normal surgery hours?
If you or a family member has a medical condition that cannot wait until your usual surgery is open, you may contact EBPC by ringing your own surgery number. You will then either be diverted to EBPC’s call centre or given a number to ring the call centre directly. You may also ring EBPC directly on 0118 936 5390
If you are ringing from a call box, please explain this to the call centre operator so we can re-contact you promptly.
What happens next?
Your call will be answered by EBPC call centre operators. You will be asked for the following details:
- The patient’s name, address, date of birth and a contact number
- The name of the patient’s doctor (GP)
- Brief details of the medical condition concerned
You will shortly be contacted by a doctor working for EBPC, who will almost always be a general practitioner like your own family doctor. They will discuss your condition with you.
What will the Doctor suggest that I do?
In many cases, you may find the advice the doctor can offer will enable you to look after yourself or another family member at home. If necessary, you can attend one of EBPC’s three primary care centres. These are in Ascot, Maidenhead and Slough.
The doctor can, if appropriate, arrange for a home visit to be made. Occasionally the doctor may arrange for you to be seen at a local Accident and Emergency department, or for an emergency ambulance to come to your home. Your own family doctor will be informed the following working day that you have been advised or seen by an EBPC doctor.
Going to the Primary Care Centre
These are not walk-in centres – you must have made arrangements to be seen at a primary care centre before attending.
The EBPC doctor will give you a time to attend the primary care centre. Within this time, patients are generally seen in order of arrival unless their medical condition is urgent.
At present, the NHS cannot take patients from home to the primary care centres or reimburse the cost of attending. Most people without a car of their own rely on family members, friends, neighbours or taxis to get to the centres.
EBPC operates out of three Primary Care Centres. For travel information, please click on the centre you require:
Home Visits
Home visits are made at the discretion of the doctor who contacts you. Most visits are made to patients who are elderly and frail, who are terminally ill, or who have a severe and deteriorating medical condition which would make it unsafe for them to travel.
EBPC doctors aim to ensure these vulnerable, often seriously ill patients are visited promptly. This is most likely to be possible if those who are able to travel agree to go to the primary care centre to see a doctor.
Finding a Doctor
Your local doctors’ surgery (or GP practice) provides a wide range of family health services, including advice on health problems, vaccinations, examinations and treatment, prescriptions for medicines, referrals to other health services and social services. Most surgeries can also provide family planning/contraception services, care during pregnancy, child health checks and immunisations, health screening services, such as smear tests and well person checks, and minor operations and procedures.
You can find a doctor in your area by clicking on the link below and selecting GPs. Key in your postcode in the box provided and you will be directed to a list of the doctors’ surgeries nearest to your address:
Click here to find your nearest doctors’ surgery.
If you or a family member has a medical condition that cannot wait until your usual surgery is open, please call EBPC patients’ line on 0118 936 5390
