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Surgery Times

Out of Hours Medical Services

How this works

When the surgery is closed your calls can be dealt with by an on call Doctor who is not necessarily your own Doctor but is usually a Torbay GP. If you ring the surgery number when the surgery is closed i.e. from 6pm to 8.30am on weekdays, or all day on Saturday and Sunday, an answerphone message will ask you to ring another number. This is the number of Devon Doctors on Call and goes to their Message Handling (Call) Centre in Exeter.

The staff at the centre are trained to answer your call and will take your details and then arrange for you to be helped in the most appropriate way. Usually they will send your details to your nearest Treatment Centre and the Doctor who is on call in the Treatment Centre will ring you back. He or she will be able to give you advice, ask you to visit the Treatment Centre to see them or arrange for the Doctor who is on duty in the car to visit you. Occasionally they will advise you to go straight to Torbay Hospital or call an emergency ambulance.

The staff at the Exeter Call Centre are not trained to give medical advice, but they may decide to call an ambulance for you. At particular busy times, Sunday mornings and Bank Holidays, a Doctor will be at the Call Centre and will be able to give you advice. He or she will ring you back in a few minutes. All telephone conversations are recorded.

The information you will be asked for is as follows:

• Your Phone Number (contact Number)
• The Patient's Name and address
• The Patient's Date of Birth
• Patient's own General Practitioner
• Brief details of the medical problem

All the Doctors in Torbay (23 Medical Practices from Torquay, Paignton and Brixham) can join the Devon Doctors Co-operative Out of Hours Service.