Appointments

** AT PRESENT TELEPHONE CONSULTATIONS ARE OFFERED. IF THE GP FEELS THAT A PATIENT NEEDS A FACE TO FACE APPOINTMENT, HE/SHE WILL ARRANGE THAT.

All surgeries are run by appointment. To make an appointment telephone 502770 or call at reception.  If you need to see the doctor urgently please tell the receptionist.

In order to reduce the patient non-attendance the surgery has adopted an appointment policy on a weekly basis.  Please note one appointment is for one patient.

Consultations

Please be punctual, if you are unable to keep an appointment please let us know as soon as possible.  Please also be considerate to other patients in the waiting room.  Try and be precise with the doctor so that the patients who are in the waiting room may see the doctor at their appointed time.

CHAPERONES

If you would like a chaperone present during your consultation, then please advise the receptionist when booking your appointment or when checking in.

Home Visits

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

A doctor or nurse may 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 Health Centre.

 Automated Booking System

This system was installed in March 2009.  You can now check yourself in at our touch screen self check in monitor.This enables you to let the doctor or nurse know that you have arrived for your appointment without having to wait behind a long queue at the reception desk or when the receptionist is occupied on the telephone.

Patients simply enter their date of birth via a touch screen keypad, or through unique fingerprint technology on the monitor to confirm their arrival.If you would like to use the 'fingerprint technology' to check yourself in for your appointment, please ask at the reception. 

The system verifies the data and within seconds, confirms the patient's identity, doctor and time of appointment on-screen  whilst simultaneously alerting the receptionist to their arrival on the EMIS system.   This should prove to be useful for patients as they can book in themselves rather than having to wait at the reception desk.

Patient Call System 

Envisage is an advanced visual information system that combines health awareness with communication and patient call.  The practice can run a series of promotional health adverts and practice-focused messages - whilst at the same time calling patients to their appointments.  A screen has been installed to convey important messages to patients while they are waiting for their appointment.

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)