Orchard Family Practice

20/01/2026

We are pleased to inform you that the computer systems are back up and running
However to allow us to catch up and work safely EConsult will be unavailable today. Please telephone the surgery for urgent on the day advice to be added to our triage list.
If your query can wait could we ask you to contact us later in the week.
Once again we apologise for any inconvenience caused and thank you for your understanding and patience.

19/01/2026

Unfortunately we are still experiencing issues with our computer systems and whilst engineers are working hard to get everything restored they are still not stable.

To allow us to catch up and work safely over the next few days our e-consults will remain unavailable tomorrow.

Please call the surgery for urgent on the day advice and once we reach capacity NHS111.

However if your query/appointment request can wait until later in the week we would appreciate this as we can then prioritise our patients with urgent needs

We apologise for any inconvenience this has caused our patients. Our staff have been working hard under extremely difficult circumstances to keep everything running as much as they are able to in a situation they have no control over.

19/01/2026

We are currently experiencing technical difficulties and are unable to access some of our clinical systems, including appointment booking and prescription requests. This is affecting surgeries across the whole area and our IT team is working on fixing the problem. We apologise for any inconvenience caused. Your patience and understanding is greatly appreciated.

29/12/2025

Phones are back up and working

Thank you for your patience

29/12/2025

Unfortunately our phones aren’t working - we hope to be back as soon as possible
Please bear with us

24/06/2025

Update on the availability of Mounjaro in General Practice in Kent & Medway

Mounjuro is the brand name for tirzepatide, a drug which has been licensed and approved by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) for managing overweight and obesity.

18/06/2025

Please note - if you have an appointment for a blood test - you will need to bring your blood test form with you

If you are coming for a blood test on Saturday, 21 June, please bring a blood form with you. We are unable to use the F number. Please get the form from your GP or rebook your appointment if you can’t get one. We’re sorry for any inconvenience this may cause.

29/05/2025

Good morning.Please be advised we are a little short staffed today so there may be delays in answering your calls. If you have a routine query, please call after 10.30 am so that we can deal with the urgent queries first. Thank you for your patience and understanding.

14/05/2025

Today is National Receptionist Day and we would like to take this opportunity to show appreciation to our team for all their hard work.
They take hundreds of calls a day trying their best to help all our patients in a professional manner to ensure the smooth running of our Practice.
Please take a moment to watch this video which shows examples of the calls that they take

Receptionists are not ‘just admin’ — they are patient advocates, navigating complex systems to get people the care they need. They are the gateway to the cli...

13/05/2025

Thank you for your patience- our phone lines are up and running again
Once again apologies for any inconvenience

12/05/2025

Unfortunately we are experiencing problems with our phone lines. We have reported it and hope to have the problem resolved as soon as possible. Thank you for your patience and understanding

14/04/2025

Thank you for your patience - our phone lines are working again