Speaking To Your Doctor Or Nurse By Telephone

It is usually possible to speak to your doctor or nurse if you need to. The receptionist will arrange this for you but she will ask you for some details before passing the message on to the doctor or nurse.

HOW DO I...
MAKE AN APPOINTMENT? Telephone: 01282 426840

‘All surgeries are by appointment. You may see either of the doctors, but for the best care we suggest you see the same doctor for any further consultations about a continuing problem. To make an appointment telephone 426840 during opening hours or call at the reception. Alternatively patients aged over 16 can now book some GP appointments online via a secure server. You will need to request a registration form from reception and collect this in person, you will be asked for some form of identification. Once you have your registration form you will need to ‘Create an Account’ at https://access.e-mis.co.uk you will also use this link once your account is created to make your appointments. If you have any difficulty, please telephone reception. Not all our appointments are available to book online therefore if the times offered are not convenient please contact reception.

We aim to see patients on the day you ask for an appointment, therefore it would be helpful if you could call early in the day - on the day you need the appointment. We generally have more morning appointments available than afternoon ones. If you need to see the doctor urgently please tell the receptionist. It may not be possible to see the doctor of your choice but you will be seen. One appointment is for one patient with one problem.

** Online Booking **

You are now able to book a selection of appointments with the doctor online, please ask at reception to register if you are aged 16 or over. You will be asked to provide some form of identification.

Extended Hours

At the moment, we are offering appointments outside of our contracted opening times: between 6.30 and 7.00pm Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. These appointments can be booked in advance for patients who are unable to attend during normal surgery hours.

Waiting Time

We run an appointment system in this practice. You will be given a time at which the doctor or nurse hopes to be able to see you. You should not wait more than 30 minutes in the waiting room without receiving an explanation for the delay. Please do everything you can to keep appointments but tell us as soon as possible if you cannot, otherwise other patients may have to wait longer for an appointment.

Allergies

Please inform the doctor, nurse or receptionist if you have any allergies, particularly to medicines or latex, before your consultation.

Referral to Other Services

You will often be able to make a choice for many referrals. This is done using the 'Choose and Book' system which your doctor will discuss with you when he refers you.

Some services will telephone you after you have been referred and before you are seen to assess how soon you need to be seen and who will be able to offer you the best care. Some services will also require you to 'opt in'; these are typically services with long waiting lists where many patients fail to attend for their first appointment - if you receive a letter asking you to opt in, it is important that you respond - failure to do so will mean that your referral will not be followed up.

HOW DO I...
OBTAIN HOME VISITS ?

Home visits are at the discretion of your doctor. Please do not ask your doctor to call unless the patient is genuinely too ill to come to the surgery. Requests for a home visit can be made by phoning 01282 426840 before 10.00am whenever possible and giving the receptionist as much information as you can. This helps the doctors to plan their visits so that the most urgent calls are made first. If you need to see a doctor we prefer you to come to the surgery if you can and we can usually arrange an urgent appointment to see one of the doctors at short notice.

Home visits are time consuming and have to be fitted in between surgeries or later in the day. Whilst we appreciate that not everyone has easy access to a car, the local bus and taxi services are good and difficulties getting to the health centre can usually be overcome. Lack of transport should not be a reason for requesting a home visit! Whenever possible we ask you to try and come to the surgery where we have better facilities for examining and treating you.

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OBTAIN TEST RESULTS ?

Specimens are sent to the hospital daily Monday to Friday. If you are asked to bring a specimen please ensure that we receive it before 2.00pm.

Test results can be given over the telephone or by calling at reception. It would be helpful if you request these after 2.00pm. The doctor will authorise the results to be given by the receptionist or, if the doctor wishes to discuss the results with you, you will be given an appointment. Please note that it is your responsibility to contact the practice for your results from any investigations or tests.

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OBTAIN A SICK NOTE?

You do not need a doctor's certificate for the first seven days of an illness, you should complete a self certification form SC2 (SC1 for unemployed or self-employed) available from your employer or the DSS. If you need a private certificate requested by your employer or for insurance reasons, there will be a charge for this. It is not recommended that you attend the doctor for sickness certification alone. The doctor is only able to give you a certificate if he considers that you are unfit for work, even if you consider you are not fit for work it may be in your own interests to return to work. The doctor will discuss the management of your illness with you and we ask that you respect the decision he comes to.

We currently have a Pathways Advisor working with the practice. Her aim is to support patients on long-term incapacity benefits to help them find work or retain if this is appropriate, and to assist those who are in work who need help to improve the quality of their lives or help manage any health condition. Please ask your doctor or a member of staff if you feel you would benefit from an appointment.