If you require medical attention after surgery hours (between the hours of 6.00 pm and 8.00 am weekdays, or between 12.00 noon on Saturday and 8.00 am on Monday), please phone BONES telephone number: (01278) 436799
In order for BONES to respond as quickly as possible to these emergencies, it is important that the service is used only for emergencies.
Please do not use the service for:
Outside the above hours, you should contact your own surgery if you need to see a doctor.
| For advice on minor illnesses the NHS telephone advice line, NHS Direct, may be able to help. NHS Direct can be contacted on: 0845 464747 |
When you contact the BONES service, the GP may give you telephone advice or arrange to see you in the Emergency Centre at Bridgwater Hospital. Please be prepared to attend the centre unless the patient is medically unfit to travel - you may have to ask relatives, friends or neighbours to give you a lift or call a taxi if necessary. Attendance at the centre is by prior arrangement only. BONES is not a walk-in service.
In some cases, it may be necessary for the doctor to visit you at home if he considers you to be too ill to attend the hospital or he may call an ambulance directly if this is more appropriate.
Utmost priority is given to the seriously ill. After that, those who have telephoned the service and been asked to attend the centre will be seen. Finally, those who have just walked into the centre will be seen. At busy times this may mean a long wait for those who have not telephoned - possibly several hours. This policy is designed to stop people coming to the centre inappropriately.
These policies have been decided by the GPs to ensure that this emergency service works well for those who need it, when they need it.