The Surgery
Amersham Health Centre
Chiltern Avenue
Amersham
Bucks HP6 5AY

Used to be 01494 434344 but that no longer works, also used to be 0870 890 2513.

Other numbers at the health centre do exist on Google, etc but these are for specialist facilities at the Health Centre, not the main reception which is what I am looking for.

Many thanks in advance.

I notice that the website for Amersham Health Centre has both 0844 & 0870 numbers on the main page.

How confusing can you get !! 

The 01494 722111 is on the website btw under , but it's nothing to do with the Surgery side !
We need to talk to the Practice Manager, Joyce Hayes about the cost of 0844 calls from mobiles & call boxes, etc.

I dialled the 01494 722111 number again and asked if I was speaking to Reception.  They confirmed I was, so I guess their website is even more confusing as it suggests you get through to health visitors etc.

So I say, dial the 722111 number - it gets you through to Reception for sure.  

You saying that you tried to book an appointment and they actually refused to book you an appointment because you dialled in on that number?

I didn't try to book an appointment because they would ask for patient ID for their appointment system.

If you didn't try to book an appointment, then can I suggest that Theo-Cupier who started this thread and is presumably a patient at that surgery, try to book an appointment and give us some feedback please?

Thanks for trying Theo - will be interesting to see what happens when you call during 9-5. 

Under the GP Contract, Doctor's surgeries can officially hand over their reponsibilites to Out of Hours services from 6.30 p.m. until 8.00 a.m. the next morning, and from 6.30 p.m. Friday to 8.00 a.m. Monday.

If they are giving you an 0870 number to call Out of Hours, then that one needs investigating as well as that Out of Hours number will be used by several surgeries within that PCT!

If this surgery has been pressurised to change from an 0870 number (albeit to a 08444), then surely the PCT has the responsibility to pressurise the Out of Hours service to change as well!  The PCT is responsilble for commissioning the Out of Hours providers.

I have just tried the 722111 number above and tried to make an appointment.

I was immediately told that this was not possible on this number and that I needed to redial the 08444 number.


When I protested that this would be more expensive for me to use, I was offered an apology but told that this was just the way of the world. They categorically stated it was not possible to use a Geographic number to make an appointment.

The person I spoke to was of the impression that 08444 was a National Rate number - despite the posters littering the surgery advising that 084xx is a local number which they are using instead of the old national number!


I think this is worth taking further with the practice manager...