Appointments

The surgery offers one week advance bookings. If for any reason you cannot attend for a booked appointment please inform the surgery. This helps us to run our surgeries more efficiently and benefits everybody in that more people can easily be seen at their appointed time.

An appointment is for one person only—where another member of the family needs to be seen, another appointment should be made, so please help us to help you.

You can see a doctor of your choice, depending upon his/her availability.

Waiting Time

You will be seen by a doctor usually within 20-30 minutes of your appointment. If the doctor is running late, our receptionist will give you an explanation. Please be patient if the doctor is running late.

Urgent Medical Cases

We will always see urgent cases on the same day. However, it may not always be possible to see the doctor of your choice.

Telephone Access Consultations

Available Monday—Friday from 09:00 —12:30 and 14:00—18:30 If you need to speak to a doctor on the telephone, please ring 9623080, the receptionist will take your details and get a clinician to return your call.

Interpreters

Interpreters are available for multilingual service. Please ask the receptionist when you make an appointment to see the doctor or practice nurse.

Home Visits

Whilst we encourage our patients to come to the surgery, where we have the proper equipment and facilities available, we do appreciate this is not always possible. In this respect, if you do need a home visit, you can help us by calling reception before 11:00.

You may only request a home visit if you are housebound or are too ill to visit the practice. Your GP will only visit you at home if they think that your medical condition requires it and will also decide how urgently a visit is needed. If the patient has a temperature or a rash, coming to the surgery will do no harm and will not endanger others, but please inform the receptionist when you arrive.

Please bear this in mind and be prepared to provide suitable details to enable the doctor to schedule house calls

You can also be visited at home by a community nurse if you are referred by your GP. You should also be visited at home by a health visitor if you have recently had a baby or if you are newly registered with a GP and have a child under five years.

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).