Sandwich Medical Practice: Anima appointments, hours and practical patient routes
Sandwich Medical Practice is the NHS GP surgery at Cattle Market, Sandwich, Kent, CT13 9ET. Its appointment system changed substantially from September 2025: the current practice homepage now describes Anima as the digital front door for both urgent and routine GP appointment requests, while routine nurse and healthcare-assistant appointments can still be booked by telephone or in person.
Use this number if you need help with Anima, want to book a nurse or healthcare-assistant service, need a home visit, have a prescription or registration question, need an interpreter or adjustment, or are unsure which route applies.
Sandwich Medical Practice
Cattle Market
Sandwich
Kent
CT13 9ET
The practice was formed in 2019 through the merger of The Market Place and The Butchery surgeries. Current patient services are centred at the Cattle Market site.
Open directionsOpening hours and Protected Learning Time
| Day | Core opening | Important note |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 8:00am–6:30pm | Anima normally available through core hours under the current model. |
| Tuesday | 8:00am–6:30pm | Routine nurse/HCA appointments can be booked separately. |
| Wednesday | 8:00am–6:30pm | 23 September 2026 is a published PLT closure from 1pm. |
| Thursday | 8:00am–6:30pm | Check the homepage for future training closures. |
| Friday | 8:00am–6:30pm | Order routine medication before weekend demand where possible. |
| Saturday | Closed | Enhanced-access appointments may operate separately through the PCN. |
| Sunday | Closed | Use NHS 111 for urgent non-emergency care. |
Appointments: Anima is now the digital front door
Sandwich Medical Practice introduced the NHS Modern General Practice model from September 2025. The current homepage, reviewed in August 2026, says all GP appointment requests—urgent and routine—must now be made through Anima.
Use the official link from the Sandwich Medical Practice website rather than searching for a generic Anima login.
The practice says a dedicated team led by a GP reviews requests so patients can be directed to the right professional at the right time.
The practice specifically asks patients to remain contactable after submitting because they may receive a call on the same day.
The homepage warns patients to ignore appointments that may appear in NHS App or Patient Access after an Anima submission unless the practice has actually contacted them about that appointment.
Nurse and healthcare-assistant appointments are different
You do not need to treat every clinical task as a GP Anima request. The current homepage says routine nurse and HCA services can still be booked by telephone or in person.
Blood tests
Routine phlebotomy remains available through the practice. Specialist referral-only blood testing is also available at Victoria Hospital in Deal for selected patients.
ECGs and BP checks
ECG, blood-pressure checks and 24-hour blood-pressure monitoring are among published practice services.
Cervical screening
Eligible patients can book cervical-screening appointments with the nursing team.
Long-term conditions
Asthma, COPD, diabetes and heart-disease monitoring are supported through practice nurse clinics.
Injections and wound care
B12 injections, wound dressings, suture removal and related procedures are among the services listed by the practice.
Contraception reviews
Routine contraception reviews remain among the nurse services that can be booked through the practice team.
Repeat prescriptions: allow at least two full working days
The practice recommends the NHS App for repeat medication and asks patients to order 7–10 days before they are due to run out.
| Ordering route | What to know |
|---|---|
| NHS App | The practice’s recommended online route for repeat medicines. |
| Online prescription form | The prescription page provides an online request option. |
| Paper repeat slip | Tick the medicines required and place the form in the prescription box in the surgery foyer. |
| Practice processing | Allow a minimum of two full working days. |
| Pharmacy dispensing | Add extra time for your nominated pharmacy to prepare the medicine. |
Test results: different tests have different waits
Sandwich Medical Practice publishes approximate result times rather than one blanket turnaround.
| Test | Approximate practice guidance |
|---|---|
| Blood test | About 2–3 days |
| Urine sample | About 7 days |
| X-ray | About 14 days |
| Cervical smear | About 6 weeks |
| MRI / CT | About 6 weeks |
Follow any different timeframe specifically given by the clinician who ordered the investigation.
The practice says it will contact you when a clinician wants to see you after a test or investigation.
The practice asks patients to use the quieter afternoon period for routine result enquiries.
Home visits: request before 11am
Home visits are reserved for patients who are terminally ill or genuinely housebound and cannot reasonably attend the surgery.
Give enough information for the clinical team to assess the request.
The doctor may call before deciding whether an in-person home visit is necessary.
The official appointments page says an appropriate GP, paramedic or advanced nurse practitioner may make the visit.
Registering: you must live inside the practice boundary
Sandwich Medical Practice accepts registrations from people living within its catchment but explicitly states that it does not accept out-of-area registrations.
Use the boundary information on the practice page or the NHS Find a GP service.
The practice provides both options.
The practice states that proof of ID, address, immigration status and an NHS number are not required simply to register or see a GP.
If you move outside its boundary, the practice says you will need to register with a GP closer to the new address.
Temporary patients
Temporary registration may be available for up to 90 days while you remain registered with your normal GP elsewhere. The practice asks temporary patients to complete a GMS3 form at reception.
Practice services beyond ordinary GP appointments
First Contact Physiotherapy
Patients can access the PCN physiotherapy service without first seeing a GP. Appointments may be at Sandwich or another Deal & Sandwich PCN surgery.
Anticoagulation
The practice runs weekly warfarin-monitoring clinics with INR checks, dose adjustment and follow-up.
Minor surgery
Selected trained GPs provide appropriate procedures such as certain skin-lesion removal, joint injections and ingrown-toenail procedures.
Long-term conditions
Published nurse-led review work includes heart disease, asthma, COPD and other chronic-condition monitoring.
Ultrasound
The practice publishes access to local ultrasound providers, including a nearby Sandwich location where appropriate.
Routine vaccination
Published vaccinations include shingles, pneumonia, RSV, whooping cough and seasonal programmes for eligible patients.
Travel vaccinations: submit the form 56 days before departure
The practice asks patients to submit its travel-assessment form at least 56 days before travel, with a separate form for each family member.
| Available through the practice | Use a private travel clinic |
|---|---|
| Hepatitis A | Yellow fever |
| Typhoid | Rabies |
| Diphtheria | Malaria-prevention services |
| Tetanus | Other specialist travel vaccines |
| Poliomyelitis | Where NHS practice provision does not cover the need |
Wheelchair access, parking and reasonable adjustments
Physical access
The practice says the building is fully accessible, with ramps, a disabled toilet and wheelchairs available in the foyer.
Disabled parking
Disabled parking spaces are available in the nearby Guildhall Car Park, which is managed by Dover District Council.
Accessible information
The practice can record needs such as large print, easy-read information, hearing-loop support, BSL and alternative communication methods.
Reasonable adjustments
Examples published by the practice include longer appointments, priority timing, quieter waiting arrangements and communication support.
Complaints and Patient Participation Group
Practice complaint
The published complaints procedure asks patients to raise concerns with the Practice Manager or a doctor. It says written complaints are acknowledged within three working days and should normally be made within the NHS complaints time limit.
Patient Participation Group
The practice has a Patient Participation Group that provides patient feedback on local services. Ask the practice team for current joining information if you want to take part.
CQC rating: Overall Good, with a recent 2024 assessment
The current CQC profile displays Sandwich Medical Practice as Overall Good, with Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led all rated Good.
| CQC item | Current detail | Context |
|---|---|---|
| Overall | Good | Current CQC profile. |
| Safe | Good | Current key-question rating. |
| Effective | Good | Current key-question rating. |
| Caring / Responsive / Well-led | Good | All three currently display Good. |
| 2024 assessment | Remote assessment 22 November 2024; on-site activity 26 November 2024 | Follow-up work focused on medicine-management concerns identified during the 10 November 2022 inspection. |
| Latest report | Published 17 December 2024 | CQC said no regulation breaches were identified in the follow-up assessment. |
If the practice cannot take another urgent request
Sandwich Medical Practice’s appointments page gives several local alternatives when the surgery has reached capacity or when the problem is better suited to urgent care.
NHS 111
Use 111 for urgent problems that are not life-threatening, particularly when the practice is full or closed.
Victoria Hospital UTC, Deal
The practice lists the Urgent Treatment Centre at Victoria Hospital as open 8am–8pm every day, with a daily closure from 12:45pm–1:30pm. Calling NHS 111 first is preferred.
Community pharmacy
Pharmacy First can deal with selected common conditions and may be recommended through Anima triage.
Critical care
The practice identifies QEQM Hospital in Margate and William Harvey Hospital in Ashford as major local critical-care sites. Call 999 when the situation is life-threatening.
Map and directions to Cattle Market
Sandwich Medical Practice
Cattle Market
Sandwich
Kent
CT13 9ET
When Sandwich Medical Practice is closed
| Situation | Use this route |
|---|---|
| Life-threatening emergency | Call 999. |
| Urgent, not life-threatening | Use NHS 111 online or call 111. |
| PLT afternoon closure | Use NHS 111 from 1pm if urgent; Anima stops accepting further requests. |
| Suitable minor urgent illness/injury | Victoria Hospital Urgent Treatment Centre in Deal may be appropriate; NHS 111 can direct you. |
| Routine admin or prescription task | Use the relevant NHS App/online route or contact the practice during core hours. |
Official sources used
- Sandwich Medical Practice official homepage and current Anima notice
- Appointments, clinical team, home visits and urgent-care alternatives
- Phone, address and 2026 PLT closures
- Repeat-prescription guidance
- Current test-result timing
- Registration, practice boundary, temporary patients and building accessibility
- Practice clinics and local services
- Accessibility and reasonable adjustments
- NHS Sandwich Medical Practice profile
- Care Quality Commission profile
Last verified: 21 September 2026.