Weekend and Night Cover
When the surgery
is closed, clear instructions for patients requiring urgent medical attention
will be heard when telephoning 0844 412 7111. You may be referred to NHS Direct
who will give you advice and the appropriate action to take (NHS Direct - 0845
4647).
Emergencies
If
you are confronted by a serious problem such as severe chest pain or severe bleeding
call an ambulance (tel: 999).
Disabled
Access
The main entrance has a ramp and automatic doors for easy access. Patient services are provided at ground floor including a disabled patients' WC.
If access proves difficult to any of our disabled patients we will be happy to consider any suggestions for improvement.
Medical
Research Council
The Medical Research Council is a government-funded
organisation which supports high quality research with the aim of maintaining
and promoting human health. The practice is a member of the Medical Research Council's
General Practice Research Framework - a national group of general practices interested
in research on many topics including prevention of heart disease, long-term use
of hormone replacement therapy (HRT), low back pain, asthma, diabetes and assessment
of elderly people.
If the practice takes part
in a study we might like to pass your name, address and age, as recorded on our
practice computer, to the Medical Research Council. If we do, the information
will remain confidential and be used only to choose a sample of patients whom
we would then contact to ask whether they would consider helping with some research.
If we contacted you, you would be free to refuse to help without your medical
care being affected. To choose the best sample it is important that we are able
to pass everyone's details to the Medical Research Council. However, you are free
to refuse permission for us to pass on your details and if you wish to do so please
see one of the doctors. Thank you for all your help.
Private Referrals
Patients referred privately need to collect their referral letter from reception five days after the initial consultation. Patients are advised not to make their appointment until they have collected their letter.
Continuity of Care
With eleven doctors and three nurses working at the practice, some patients find some difficulty in deciding who to see. You may feel more comfortable with a certain doctor or want a woman doctor. Here are some thoughts you might wish to take into account which we hope you find useful:
• All the doctors and nurses have access to your medical record regardless of whoever has written them
• If you have preference for the gender of the doctor please tell the receptionist when making a
booking
• If you need to see a doctor regularly for a medical condition, you will probably find it better to see
the same doctor each time and when he or she is away have a 'reserve' doctor who gets to
know you
• If a doctor has arranged some tests or has asked to review you at a particular time, it is important
to see that same doctor for any follow-up appointment
• The doctors and nurses have holidays and many of them do not work in the surgery every day as
they have other commitments, so if you want to see a particular doctor, book a few days ahead
If you need to see a doctor on the same day, you may well be asked to see the duty doctor for a shorter appointment and you will not be given a choice of who you will see. This is most likely to occur on Monday. If your problem can wait a day or two, you will have a wider choice of doctors and have some extra time.
