Appointments

Surgery is by appointment only. We offer a selection of pre-bookable appointments on a weekly basis. Otherwise routine appointments can be made by phoning after 8.30am on the day requested. The practice has a policy of 48 hours access Monday to Friday.

Urgent cases will be seen that day but must see the first available doctor.

Emergencies will be seen straight away. An interpreter can be booked for consultations and is available via the telephone in emergency cases.

Appointments are allocated for 10 minutes slots. Please do not ask for other family members to be seen during your consultation as this disrupts the running of surgery times.

If there is a shortage of appointments and you feel that you need to be seen, please give the receptionist the necessary information, so that she can inform the doctor, who will assess your needs.

All consultations are treated in strict confidence.

Telephone Access 

If you wish to speak to a doctor please phone between 12 and 12.30pm. In case of a genuine emergency the doctors will always be able to speak to you; if this is the case please let the receptionist know. If you wish to speak to the Nurse please phone between 12 noon and 1pm Please also note, doctors are unable to take calls through the surgery, as this is a distraction for both the doctor and the patient during a consultation.

Cancellations

If you cannot attend an appointment for any reason please inform us as soon as possible in order for us to give the slot to someone else.

Home Visits

Home visits are for patients who are too ill or frail to attend the surgery. It is inappropriate to request a house call because of lack of transport or other non medical social factors.

Please try to request home visits by 10am. This allows the doctors to plan their calls efficiently. Urgent home visits be seen as soon as possible.

Please let the receptionist know if you feel your condition is urgent.

You can be visited at home by a community nurse if you are referred by your GP. You should also be visited at home by a health visitor if you have recently had a baby or if you are newly registered with a GP and have a child under five years.

Telephone Calls

We set time aside for telephone calls after surgery hours. Unless urgent, no calls are put through to the doctor during surgery times. Interuptions  impact on the quality of the consultation and we like to keep them to an absolute minimum.

Our receptionists will take requests for telephone calls, your contact details will be recorded and the Doctor will return your call  as soon as they can.

Test Results

The doctors review test results on a daily basis and note what action, if any, needs to be taken.

Please contact reception staff between 2-3pm to obtain test results.

Our reception staff are not qualified to comment on results therefore it is your responsibility to check your results and to make an appointment to discuss them with your doctor if you are advised to do so

Please note that we do have a strict policy regarding confidentiality and data protection. In this respect we will only give out results to the person they relate to unless that person has given prior permission for their release or if they are not capable of understanding them.

Please note when you bring a sample of urine to the surgery during treatment room hours, you may wait for the nurse to carry out preliminary tests or alternatively, the sample can be placed in the ‘sample box’ outside the treatment room door. Please ensure that name, address and date of birth are clearly written on the specimen bottle.

Sickness Certificates

You do not require a doctor's sickness certificate for any illness lasting seven days or less.  Your employer may however require you to complete a self-certification form (SC2) which is available from your employer or on the HMRC website

Evidence that you are sick

If you are sick for more than seven days, your employer can ask you to give them some form of medical evidence to support payment for SSP (statutory sick pay).

It is up to your employer to decide whether you are incapable of work.  A medical certificate, now called a 'Statement of Fitness for Work' from your doctor is strong evidence that you are sick and would normally be accepted, unless there is evidence to prove otherwise.

You could also provide evidence from someone who is not a medical practitioner, e.g. a dentist.  Your employer will decide whether or not this evidence is acceptable.  If your employer has any doubts, they may still ask for a medical certificate from your GP.

Statement of Fitness for Work - Fit Note

The 'fit note' was introduced on 6th April 2010.  With your employer's support, the note will help you return to work sooner by providing more information about the effects of your illness or injury. 

For more information see the DirectGov website