OBTAIN
TELEPHONE ADVICE?
If you need to speak to a doctor but do not need a consultation please ring before 10.00am. You will be asked to leave a number where you can be contacted and the doctor or practice staff will try and get back to you after he has seen the message.
Health
Advice (NHS Direct)
The NHS operates a 24-hour helpline which you can use for any general health
concerns or health-related enquiries. You can contact NHS Direct on 0845 4647 or visit them at www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk
HOW
DO I...
MAKE AN APPOINTMENT?
Consultations are by appointment only. Appointments can be made either by telephone
or by calling in at the surgery.
Please also note: one patient, one appointment. You will normally be offered a
ten minute appointment. It will help you make the most of this time if you think
about what you need to tell the doctor in advance:
| What
are your symptoms? |
| When
did they start? |
| Does
anything aggravate or help them? |
| What
are you really worried about? |
In
normal circumstances there will be free routine appointments within four working
days. (There may be a longer wait if a doctor has been on holiday or unwell etc.)
Appointment Times
Please be punctual for your appointment.
The doctors will try and keep to your appointment time but please be patient if
they are over-running.
Unexpected crises may occur and your doctor occasionally has to leave surgery
to attend an emergency.
It is difficult to deal with multiple problems in just one appointment.
If you have several health worries you may need to return at a later date.
If you are waiting more than thirty minutes feel free to mention this to the receptionist,
who will explain the situation and offer a further appointment if you cannot wait.
Urgent Appointments
If all routine appointments are fully booked for your doctor on the day you request,
you will be asked if you would like to make an appointment for the next or another
free surgery.
If you feel that your medical condition needs attention before the next available routine surgery, you may be
asked to discuss this with one of the practice nurse team or the emergency doctor. They will hopefully be able
to advise you as to the most appropriate course of action, eg book you an appointment with the emergency
doctor, book you a routine appointment with your own doctor, advise you on self medication or recommend
attendance at A & E etc.
On being offered an urgent appointment you will only have been allocated five minutes with the doctor to try
and deal with your emergency. Do not use the urgent appointment to try and bring up other ongoing
problems. If you have an urgent problem please try and ring early in the day (before 10.00am) so we can
more easily help you.
HOW
DO I...
OBTAIN A HOME VISIT?
If you are too ill or too disabled to attend the surgery and need a home visit,
please ring between 8.30 and 10.00am.
The doctors carry out home visits between surgeries, fitting them in with special
clinics, medicals, hospital referrals, reports, results, enquiries and administration.
Home visiting is a very inefficient use of a doctor's time; three to four patients
can be seen in surgery in the time taken to do one home visit.
Therefore, please make every effort to attend the surgery.
HOW
DO I...
OBTAIN TEST RESULTS?
If
you have had a blood, x-ray, smear or other test arranged by your doctor, please
ring in an afternoon to find out the results as the receptionist will have more
time to help you with any queries.
Please allow a week from having your test to ringing for your results (but results
of smear tests take longer).
Smear
Results
These results are currently taking one month to be reported on.
HOW DO I...
MAKE A COMMENT?
Should you have any comments or suggestions regarding the practice we would
be grateful if you could make your views known to the practice manager verbally
or by letter.
