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Website statement for NCHC website
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FAQs Beaulieu Healthcare Centre
We’re delighted to announce that we will soon be opening a new branch surgery in the heart of the Beaulieu Park estate north of Chelmsford.
Our new branch surgery will be the Beaulieu Healthcare Centre, a new-build healthcare centre located in Beaulieu Square, which has been designed to meet the needs of modern clinical care. The new space will give our practice additional clinical rooms, providing more capacity for our patients to access services from our team of dedicated healthcare professionals.
We look forward to welcoming our current patients at the new site later in 2025 for pre-booked appointments only. Please note you will not be able to walk-in and book appointments at our new site.
In the meantime, there will be no changes to how you access services at North Chelmsford Healthcare Centre. In the short term our clinical team will be working across both sites so you will still see the same familiar clinicians you know whether you are offered an appointment at North Chelmsford Healthcare Centre or Beaulieu Healthcare Centre.
With our new branch surgery, we also have plans to grow our clinical team so that we can offer even more services for our valued patients.
How to access Beaulieu Healthcare Centre
Our new branch is located about one mile from the North Chelmsford Healthcare Centre at Beaulieu Healthcare Centre, Centenary Way, Chelmsford, CM1 6AU.
This is around seven minutes away from our current surgery by car or a 20-25 minute walk. There are several frequent bus services that stop at Beaulieu Square from Chelmsford City Centre. From North Chelmsford Healthcare Centre, the number 47 bus takes around 13 minutes (includes a six-minute walk) and runs hourly.
What the new branch will offer
- Clinical appointments with clinical staff from North Chelmsford Healthcare Centre
- Over time, additional appointments and services will become available as we expand our workforce
- Greater variety of health professionals working with us as part of the offer from Chelmer Primary Care Network
- We will be offering more GP trainee placements to develop training and encourage more practitioners to the area
- Additional consulting rooms
- Two virtual consulting rooms for telephone calls and an interview room
- A fresh, modern reception and waiting area
- New patients are now able to register through North Chelmsford Healthcare Centre via How to register – North Chelmsford NHS Healthcare Centre
How to book appointments at the new branch
For now, registered patients can book appointments in the usual way by filing in a triage form available on our main surgery’s website. Patients will receive a same day outcome which may be self help advice, signposting or, if clinically necessary, a telephone or face to face appointment. These will be offered on the same day, or within 3 or 7 days, depending on urgency.
If there is an opportunity to book an appointment at the new branch surgery, we will let you know when you contact us.
Have any questions?
We have developed an FAQ to help answer any questions you may have please scroll down to read them.
If you have any further questions about the new branch or would like to raise any concerns, then please email the Practice Manager at North Chelmsford Healthcare Centre at [email protected].
General information
1. When is the new branch opening?
A: We expect to start delivering patient services from the new branch from early autumn 2025.
2. What is the full address of the new surgery?
A: The new site address is Beaulieu Healthcare Centre, Centenary Way, Chelmsford CM1 6AU
3. What will the opening hours and days of operation be?
A: 9-5pm initially.
4. Will the new branch have the same phone number or a different one?
A: The new branch has the same contact information as North Chelmsford Healthcare Centre. Please continue to contact the practice in the same way you do now.
5. Will services continue at North Chelmsford Healthcare Centre?
A: Yes, Services such as GP and nurse appointments will continue at North Chelmsford Healthcare Centre during core business hours.
Transport and access
6. Is parking available at the new site?
A: Parking is available in the two Beaulieu car parks, behind of and in front of the healthcare centre.
7. How far is the new branch from North Chelmsford Healthcare Centre?
A: The Beaulieu Healthcare Centre is about one mile from North Chelmsford Healthcare Centre. It is about 7 minutes by car, or a 20-25 minute walk from the main surgery.
8. Is the new branch accessible by public transport?
A: There are several frequent bus services that stop at Beaulieu Square from Chelmsford City Centre. From North Chelmsford Healthcare Centre, the number 47 bus takes around 13 minutes (includes a six-minute walk). This bus service runs hourly.
9. Is the building accessible for people with disabilities?
A: Yes, the building has access for people with disabilities and there is a lift to the first floor.
Appointments and services
10. How can I book an appointment at the new branch?
A: Contact the practice the same way you have always done. We will continue to operate total triage for all appointments. Patients cannot turn up at the branch surgery and book appointments.
11. Can I choose which branch to attend for my appointments?
A: When you contact us, we will let you know what options are available. Whether you can book an appointment at Beaulieu Healthcare Centre or North Chelmsford Healthcare Centre will depend on availability and timing of the appointments as well as where the clinician you need to see is working on that particular day,
e.g. if a patient needs a diabetic review and the diabetic specialist clinician is working at North Chelmsford Healthcare Centre on that day, an appointment can only be offered at that site.
12. Will walk-in appointments be available at the new branch?
A: No, appointments will need to be booked beforehand. You will not be able to get an appointment if you visit the new branch in person.
13. How will the new branch affect waiting times at the surgery? Will I get appointments more quickly?
A: We will continue to operate a total triage system and patients will receive a response to their request for an appointment on the same day. This may be self-help, signposting or, if clinically necessary, an appointment. A telephone or a face-to-face appointment will be booked for you, either on the day or within 3 or 7 days, depending on urgency. The extra clinical rooms will allow us to provide more face-to-face appointments at both sites.
14. Will all the same services (e.g. blood tests, vaccinations, chronic disease clinics) be offered at the new branch?
A: The practice will continue to provide the same services as before at our main site. Many of these services will also become available at the new Beaulieu Healthcare Centre branch in the coming months. We will keep patients notified as more services begin to be offered there.
15. Will urgent/same-day appointments be available at the new branch?
A: We will continue to operate a total triage system for both sites with a response provided on the same day. If clinically necessary and urgent, a telephone or face-to-face appointment will be offered on the same day.
16. Will there be any new services or clinics at either the main branch or the new site?
A: We are reviewing what extra services we will be able to offer from the new site. We will keep registered patients up-to-date with any new announcements.
17. Will there be any changes to how repeat prescriptions are ordered or collected?
A: No, there are no changes to how you order and collect medication. You will be able to collect your medication from the same pharmacies regardless of which branch your appointment took place.
Staff and support
18. Can I continue to see my usual GP, nurse or other health professional at the new location?
A: Yes you can request the same clinician, but please note that all requests for appointments are triaged and you may be directed to see one of the clinical team, rather than a GP, depending on the condition.
19. Will there be additional staff who will be based at the new site?
A: Yes we have increased our nursing staff, Nurse Practitioner and GP Registrar staffing.
20. Will there be a reception team at the new branch?
A: Yes there will be one receptionist based at the branch surgery.
Registration and records
21. Do I need to re-register for the new branch?
A: No there is no need to re-register. All patients at North Chelmsford Healthcare Centre will be able to access appointments at the new Beaulieu Healthcare Centre branch or our current surgery, depending on availability.
22. Will my medical records be shared across both branches?
A: Both branches use the same IT systems and clinicians will be able to access your records from either site.
23. Can new patients register at the new branch only?
A: New registrations – it will be a single registration for both sites as Beaulieu Healthcare Centre is a branch surgery. Patients can mention their site of choice to be seen on the triage form and we will try and accommodate the request where we can, but it will not always be possible.
24. Is there a patient catchment area for the new site?
A: The patient catchment area is the same as for the North Chelmsford Healthcare Centre, which has not changed with the opening of this new branch. For more information visit: https://nchc.gpsurgery.net/patient-info/practice-boundary/
Technology and communication
25. Can I still use the same online booking system?
A: You can book an appointment the same ways as before. For more information, please visit: https://nchc.gpsurgery.net/services/appointments/
26. Will there be Wi-Fi or digital check-in screens at the new surgery?
A: Yes there will be a patient check-in machine, a patient information board and Wi-Fi.
27. Are there any changes to how the surgery will communicate with patients (texts, email, website, etc.)?
A: How the practice communicates with patients will remain unchanged.
Reasons for opening a new branch
28. Why did the practice decide to open a new branch?
A: The North Chelmsford area is growing quickly, with lots of new homes being built. To provide GP services to this growing population, we need more clinical space to be able to respond to increased demand for local healthcare services. The extra space will allow us to offer more appointments and services to our existing patients while also allowing us to serve the growing population in Beaulieu. It will also allow us to increase the number of healthcare staff, including nurses, which will improve patient access to nurse-led services such as vaccinations, clinics, screenings, etc.
29. Why at Beaulieu Park?
A: A new health facility was built as part of the residential development in Beaulieu. A new facility was ideal for us as we were seeking to expand our clinical capacity. So, we participated in the official procurement process that NHS Mid and South Essex ICB undertook to find a local primary care provider to take on the new building. We were delighted to be successful in our application and to have this opportunity to grow and expand our services for the local community.
30. Were there any other options for expanding services?
A: The Beaulieu Healthcare Centre meets all the needs of the surgery to provide services in the North Chelmsford area. No other option could provide the facilities to meet local healthcare needs while also being cost effective.
Feedback
31. Can I provide feedback or suggestions about the new branch?
A: If you have any questions about the new branch which this FAQ hasn’t answered, then please email the Practice Manager at North Chelmsford Healthcare Centre at [email protected]
