Appointments

Patients may make appointments via the receptionist during opening hours either by telephone or in person at the reception desk. Members of the reception team will also be happy to assist with other enquiries regarding the services offered by the practice.

Please note, only one patient per appointment. If you feel your problem is urgent and cannot wait until the next available appointment slot, please inform the receptionist who will take advice from the doctor. There is a duty doctor on call each morning and afternoon.

On occasion, you may be given an emergency appointment for an acute problem (sore throat, cough, cold, earache, UTI etc.) with our nurse prescriber Shiney. Please let reception know if you are unsure if they will be able to deal with your problem and we will be happy to assist.  

Online

Using Patient Access, you can view, book and cancel appointments from home, work or on the move - wherever you can connect to the internet, Whats more,because Patient Access is a 24 hour online service you can do this anytime day or night. Please ask at reception for further detail on how to register for this service. 

Access

Our health centre has suitable access for disabled patients. All patient areas, including the waiting room, the consulting rooms and the toilets have wheelchair access.

Cancellations

If you are unable to attend your appointment then please contact reception to cancel it in order that we can give the slot to someone else.

Home Visits

If possible please try to telephone reception before 10:00 if you require a home visit.

A doctor or nurse will phone you back as it may be that your problem can be dealt with by telephone advice, or that it would be more appropriate to send a nurse, or indeed arrange a hospital attendance.

House visits are only available for patients who are housebound because of illness or disability.

Please remember that several patients can be seen in the practice in the time that it takes to make one home visit. There are also better facilities for examining and treating patients at the surgery.

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 of 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’ (see below) 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 6 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 (where this information was sourced)

Training Practice

Medical students,trainee doctors and nursing students attend the practice from time to time. We hope that you will co-operate with us and help the students to learn about general practice.

However, you will be informed of their presence in advance, and if you do not want them to be present at a consultation, your wishes will be respected. This will not affect your treatment in any way