Appointments

To make an appointment to see a doctor, please submit an Anima request using the link below:

Patients who are unable to submit an Anima request online may still telephone the surgery and a receptionist will complete the Anima request on their behalf.

You must have an appointment to see a doctor – patients who walk-in to the surgery without an appointment will still be required to submit an Anima request. This will then be triaged and prioritised in the same way as all other requests that day.

We operate a non-personal list system that means patients can see any available doctor in the practice. We strive to offer appointments with a doctor within 48 working hours of the request although this may be longer if you wish to see a specific doctor.

You and Your GP

On 19 August 2025, NHS England published You and Your General Practice (YYGP) to “help patients understand what to expect from their GP surgery and how to get the best from their GP team”. Your Practice Charter

Practice nurses are qualified to deal with a wide range of conditions, including diabetes, asthma, COPD, and minor illnesses, as well as offering services such as cervical screening, dressings, vaccinations, smoking cessation advice and blood pressure monitoring.

To book an appointment to see a nurse please submit an Anima request.

Mount Farm Surgery communicates with patients in lots of ways. We provide a free automated text appointment reminder service for all patients that provide us with their mobile telephone number. Should you wish to take advantage of this free service and receive text message reminders please use the consent form below or advise a member of staff.

Patients who are registered at this practice can now book an appointment to see a GP or nurse on weekday evenings (after 6.30pm) or at the weekends. Appointments will either take place at this practice or at another NHS setting nearby.

The service is staffed by local Suffolk GPs and Nurse Practitioners in Bury St Edmunds, Haverhill, Ipswich, Felixstowe, Stowmarket, Leiston and Wickham Market and is an NHS service delivered by the Suffolk GP Federation. You will be given a booked appointment and will be seen by a suitable local GP or nurse who will have access to your medical records (once consent is given). Talk to our practice receptionists to find out more or book an appointment.

You do not require a doctor’s sickness certificate for any illness lasting seven days or less. Your employer may however require you to complete a self-certification form (SC2) which they should provide. Alternatively you can ask at Reception or download a copy from the HMRC website.

If you are sick for more than seven days your employer can ask you to provide them some form of medical evidence to support payment of SSP (statutory sick pay).

It is up to your employer to decide whether you are incapable of work. A medical certificate, now called a ‘Statement of Fitness for Work’ (see below) from your doctor is strong evidence you are sick and would normally be accepted.

You could also provide evidence from someone who is not a medical practitioner, such as a dentist. Your employer will decide whether this evidence is acceptable. If your employer has doubts, they may still ask for a medical certificate from your GP.

The ‘fit note’ was introduced in April 2010. With your employer’s support, the note will help you return to work sooner by providing more information about the effects of your illness or injury.

Find out more:

What are fit notes? – NHS Choices
Fitness for work: the Government response to “Health at work – an independent review of sickness absence”
“Fit For Work” – ACAS

We can carry out home visits to patients who are unable to get to the surgery, either through the severity of their illness or because of disability/mobility. If you require a home visit, please call 01284 769643 us as early as possible, preferably before 9:30am.

In the time that it takes to make one home visit several patients could be seen in the surgery, where there are also better facilities for examining and treating patients. If you can get to the surgery, please do so. If a problem is urgent, we will do our best to fit you in as soon as possible.

We adhere to the home visit guidelines issued by the Local Medical Committee. Please note that we cannot undertake home visits for reasons of convenience or lack of transport.

Please cancel an appointment if you feel you no longer require it by calling us on 01284 769643 (during opening hours), by texting the word CANCEL to 07800 008113, or by using SystmOnline.

Did you know…?

Up to 7 weeks’ worth of appointments are wasted every year when patients fail to cancel them, which is an expensive waste of resources that could have further improved patient health services.

Our ‘did-not-attend’ policy

If a patient fails to attend an appointment on more than one occasion within 12 months an informal warning letter will be sent requesting that in future, should they no longer require an appointment, to please cancel it in good time.

If a patient subsequently fails to attend further appointments then access to online and telephone booking and choice of available appointments will be restricted. A final warning letter will be sent stating that they will be removed from the practice list should they fail to attend further appointments.

Failure to attend another appointment will result in the patient being removed from our list, and they will need to register elsewhere.

For test results, please check your NHS App. After checking your results on the NHS App, if you need to discuss them with a doctor, please submit an Anima request here.