Contact us with PATCHS
You can contact a doctor, nurse or other healthcare professional online using a website called PATCHS.
Urgent appointments
To request an urgent appointment for today or tomorrow (Monday to Friday) during opening times:
- phone us on 01744 624810
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 01744 624810
- use your NHS account (through the NHS website or NHS App) or Patient Access to book an appointment, screening test or vaccination
- use the PATCHS service
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.
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.
Telephone consultations and advice
Telephone consultations are available with the doctors and nurses. The receptionists will give you details and also help with a request for telephone advice.
Chaperone policy
If you would like a chaperone present at any time during a consultation when you are being examined please let your clinician know. We will be happy to organise for another member of staff to be present at that examination.
Choose and book
When you and your GP agreed that you need an appointment with a specialist, Choose and book shows your GP which hospitals or clinics are available for your treatment. Your GP will discuss with you the appropriate options which are available for treating your medical condition.
Enhanced access appointments
Did you know that Mill Street Medical Centre offers many additional appointments outside of practice opening hours and at weekends?
Between 8:30am and 6:30pm, Monday to Friday you can contact the surgery to arrange an appointment for an enhanced access appointment.
The Rainhill Village Surgery will be offering a range of appointments on a weekly basis for all our patients. The enhanced access service is available, Monday to Friday from 6:30pm to 9pm and Saturdays 9am to 5pm. We also offer availability on a Tuesday Morning for GP clinics, 7am to 11am.
We are pleased to offer a range of different appointment types ranging from GP clinics, ANP clinics, podiatry, physio, mental health, social prescribing and practice nurse clinics.
- 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 6pm, GP, podiatry and practice nurse appointments
- Friday, 6:30pm to 9pm, GP appointments
- Saturday, 9am to 5pm, variety of face to face appointments offer at a choice of Rainhill Village Surgery and Spinney Medical Centre
Please note the mid-week sessions are held remotely excluding 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
The service is being delivered by St Helens South PCN.
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
- use our cancel an appointment form
- send a text message with your name and appointment date and time to 07907445097
- phone us on 01744 624810 during opening times
If you need help when we are closed
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.
Call 999 in a medical or mental health emergency. This is when someone is seriously ill or injured and their life is at risk.
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 contacting the surgery on 01744 624810 between 8am and 10am. Calls after 10am make it difficult to plan visits and it may not be your normal doctor.
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.