|
HOW
DO I...
OBTAIN
TELEPHONE ADVICE? (four weeks ahead)
It is possible to gain non-urgent medical advice over the telephone from the GP. These appointments last five minutes and can be booked up to four weeks in advance. When you book these appointments with the reception they will ask for your telephone number and arrange a time and day for the doctor to ring you back.
HOW
DO I...
MAKE
AN APPOINTMENT?
All of our consultations with a healthcare professional are by appointment only and can be booked by our reception team either in person at the surgery or by telephone on 0844 477 3625.
It will assist us greatly if phone calls to the surgery during the peak times of 8.30 and 9.00am are restricted to those patients requiring urgent same day appointments.
We are constantly reviewing our appointment system to reflect our patients’ needs and currently offer the following range of appointments to suit particular circumstances.
The reception staff will endeavour to give you a convenient and appropriate appointment with the doctor or nurse of your choice. If, however, they are unable to do so, they will suggest an alternative time or another doctor/nurse who is available. As a registered patient at this practice, you are free to consult with any of our doctors or practice nurses.
Advance Booking – (four weeks ahead)
Appointments can be made with any of the doctors up to four weeks in advance. These slots are ideal for medication or chronic disease reviews and it is strongly recommended that they be used for this purpose where at all possible.
2 Working Day Access – (two days ahead)
Appointments can now be made in advance for up to two working days (Tuesday-Friday). These appointments are suitable for patients who do not need to be seen by the GP urgently but require attention within two working days.
NB. Due to the high demand after the weekend we are unable to offer these appointments on a Monday.
Same Day Access – (same day)
These appointments can be booked on any week day and are reserved for patients who require medical attention on that day. Please phone between 8.30 and 10.00am on the day if you require an appointment on the same day.
If you present with a new complaint you may be offered an appointment with our nurse practitioner where appropriate (see list and description below).
Nurse Practitioner Appointments - (same day)
An appointment with our fully qualified nurse practitioner may be offered to you if you present with a new complaint requesting a same day appointment. Following initial triage assessment, and if deemed necessary, a prescription will be issued, and you may also be seen by the duty doctor following this initial assessment.
Minor Illnesses Appropriate For The Nurse Practitioner:
Coughs, Colds, Chest Infections, Fever
Earache, Sore Throat
Sore Eyes, Stomach Pains
Sickness/Diarrhoea/Constipation, Rashes/Eczema
Urine Infection/Cystitis, Nose Bleeds
Foot Conditions
If you present with a routine, ongoing problem or a new complaint that is not appropriate for the nurse practitioner, you will be offered an appointment with a doctor, subject to availability. Please note if your case is urgent/on the day and there is a high demand for appointments you may not be able to see the GP of your choice.
Nurse Appointments – (Four weeks ahead)
Appointments with either of our practice nurses can be booked up to four weeks in advance. These appointments are suitable for patients requiring routine blood pressure checks, cervical smears, contraception, travel advice etc. The nurses also run our clinics for routine chronic disease management ie Asthma, Diabetes, Heart Disease.
Health Care Assistant Appointments – (Four weeks ahead)
Appointments with the health care assistant (HCA) can be booked up to four weeks in advance. These appointments are suitable for patients requiring routine blood pressure checks, smoking cessation advice, new patient check, routine health checks etc.
Working Patients
For those patients who work 9.00 - 5.00pm and find it difficult to attend during normal surgery hours, there are slots available to book from 8.30am on Wednesday mornings. Again, these can be booked up to four weeks ahead.
Telephone Consultations
You can get medical advice over the telephone. Contact the receptionist and ask for a 'telephone consultation'. She will take your telephone number and arrange a time and date for the doctor to ring you back, which may not necessarily be the same day. Each doctor has a number of these 5-minute slots each day which can be booked up to four weeks ahead.
Cancelling Appointments
If you have an appointment that you are unable to keep, please let the surgery know as soon as possible to enable the appointment to be re-allocated to another patient. Our telephone system also offers the facility to leave a message to cancel an appointment if phoning outside normal surgery hours.
If possible please contact our reception team outside the hours of 8.30 to 10.00am when the phone lines are extremely busy.
HOW DO I...
OBTAIN A HOME VISIT? (Same day)
If you are housebound, or your condition prevents you attending the surgery, a home visit may be requested. Please phone between 8.30 and 10.00am if a visit is required as only emergency visits will be arranged after that time. Please give the receptionist as much information as possible to enable the doctors to allocate priority to house calls. Please remember that several patients can be seen at the surgery in the time it takes to do one home visit so this facility should only be requested if you are unable to attend the surgery for medical reasons.
HOW
DO I...
OBTAIN TEST AND X-RAY RESULTS
Please telephone for any results between 2.00 and 4.00pm Monday to Friday, when the doctors have seen the test results for that day and when staff have more time to help as telephone lines are less busy.
Most routine blood test results are available within 72 hours although some can take up to two weeks. X-ray results may take two to three weeks.
Results for any patient over 16 can only be given to the patient personally or to another party with the written consent of the patient, to protect confidentiality.
HOW
DO I....
REGISTER WITH THE PRACTICE?
It is necessary for all new patients registering with the practice to book an appointment with one of our nurses for a health screening examination, to which you will be asked to bring a urine sample.
Change
Of Personal Details
Please advise reception if you change your name, address or telephone number.
|
