Many patients believe there is an automatic right to be visited by their GP at home, but this is not the case.

Home visits are only appropriate for patients who are too unwell to attend the practice, such as truly housebound or terminally ill patients.

Not owning a car is not a valid reason to request a home visit, as you may be able to secure a lift from a friend or relative, public buses and numerous taxi firms provide an excellent and affordable service in the Hayling area too.

Our staff and doctors will always encourage patients to attend the practice, because this is where the best care can be provided.

At the practice we have well-lit rooms and access to specialist equipment such as ECGs, which means that we are better equipped to examine patients and carry out certain tests that are unavailable during home visits. We can also administer potentially lifesaving drugs at the practice such as oxygen or nebulised salbutamol if required.

Also, in the time it takes to visit one patient at home, your GP can see up to five patients at the practice. This means that home visits can directly reduce the access to urgent medical care for some of our other registered patients.

If you do request a home visit, please do so before 10.30, after which a GP will call you back to find out more information about your problem before making a decision whether a home visit is indeed the best way to assess and treat your medical problem, or whether it might be more appropriate for you to be seen at the practice instead.

Please note that GPs are not contracted and therefore unable to provide an emergency home visiting service, and that all agreed home visits will usually take place between 13:00 and 15:00..

If you do believe that you have a medical emergency such as severe chest pains, severe shortness of breath, severe bleeding or symptoms of a stroke please contact the Emergency Ambulance Service via 999 instead.