How do I... ACCESS A DOCTOR?

Appointments

We aim to see all patients within 48 hours of requesting access to a GP. For this reason you will find it easier to book an appointment for routine or urgent matters in advance. Appointments can be booked up to a maximum of six weeks in advance to see a doctor or practice nurse by telephoning 01487 812611. Alternatively, visit the practice Monday to Friday between 08:00 to 12:30 and 13:30 to 18:00. The doctors run surgeries offering 10 minute appointments. Please remember to let us know when you want to cancel an appointment as a large amount of doctor and practice nurse time is wasted by patients just not turning up.

We know that shared decision making between patients and professionals can make a lasting and significant different to healthcare outcomes. Receiving and understanding the right information during an appointment is key to involving people in decisions about their treatment and care. Please read the Department of Health's "Questions to Ask" leaflet.

Cancelling Your Booked Appointment

Every day appointments are wasted because people do not cancel a booked appointment. If you need to cancel your appointment, please do tell us so your appointment can be allocated to someone else. From 1 November 2007 we will be following up more closely on patients who persistently do not attend for a booked appointments. Patients who persistently miss appointments will be denied the opportunity to book in advance and may be removed from our practice list.

Urgent Access to a Doctor

Urgent access to a doctor can be requested on the same day but may not be with the doctor of your choice and will mean you waiting until the emergency doctor is available. Please give Patient Services staff a brief idea of the problem and they will inform the emergency doctor and s/he will call you back.

Preference of Doctor

On 1 April 2003 when the Government introduced a new GP contract, patients were no longer registered with a specific doctor but with the practice as a whole but you can request to see a particular doctor if you so wish.  It may just mean a longer wait for an appointment. However, we fully recognise that continuity of care is extremely important, both to the patient and the doctor to ensure ongoing treatment is managed efficiently. The Patient Services staff will always try to ensure that your request to see a specific doctor is fulfilled. This will depend on your flexibility and availability for an appointment with that doctor.

Why does my doctor sometimes run late!

This is a commonly asked question – all appointments are for ten minutes, however, many patients attend with complex or multiple problems that need much longer consultation times than this. If you know you will need more time, please mention this on booking so that an appropriate slot can be allocated. Emergency calls for visits or urgent attention must be fitted in appropriately throughout the day. All these calls on the doctors’ time add up to delays. We fully accept that it can be extremely frustrating to be kept waiting in our busy lives. As a result, the Patient Services staff will endeavour to keep you informed of any delays that may affect your appointment times. However, all patients are important to us and we would ask you to be patient, it could be you that has a difficult problem to discuss or an emergency next time.

I Have Difficulty Getting Through by Telephone in the Mornings!

Although we answer four lines on our main telephone system they are very busy first thing in the morning. Calls are held in a stacking system and are answered in the order they are received. If you can leave non-urgent calls until later in the morning we will be able to deal with them more quickly

Emergencies

If you are confronted by a serious problem such as severe chest pain or severe bleeding call an ambulance (telephone: 999) before calling the surgery.

How do I... Obtain A Home Visit?

Home visits are intended for those who cannot, for medical reasons, make it into the surgery. This is because 3 (sometimes 4) patients can be seen at the surgery in the time it takes to complete 1 home visit. Please phone before 11:00 if you are requesting a home visit. A doctor may return your phone call to discuss the need for a home visit. The doctor will make the decision to make a home visit based on medical need.

Practice Nurse And Healthcare Assistant Appointments

Our Healthcare Assistant can help you with:

Appointments with Practice Nurses and the Healthcare Assistant may be booked up to two weeks in advance. Routine blood test appointments are available each morning from 08.15 to 11.00.

The following ailments and procedures can be dealt with by one of our Practice Nurses:

HOW CAN I DONATE MY BODY TO MEDICAL SCIENCE?

People who wish to donate their bodies need to contact their local medical school for more information. A list of local medical schools is available on the Human Tissue Authority's (HTA) website.

To find out more, read the HTA's frequently asked questions about whole body donation.