Appointments

The practice operates an appointment system for both doctors and nurses and patients are able to book up to 4 weeks in advance for a doctor and 12 weeks for a nurse.

You can also telephone on the day however if you choose to do this we cannot guarantee that you'll get the clinician or time of your choice.

Chaperones

If you are attending surgery for an “intimate” examination, e.g. breast or internal examination you will be offered a chaperone.

Disabled Access

There is parking for the disabled at the back of the building.  The centre is fully accessible for all disabled patients and includes disabled toilet facilities. 

GP Training

The practice undertakes the training of medical and nursing students.  Your verbal consent for the presence of a student will always be discussed with you prior to the consultation commencing.

Pharmacy First - Minor Ailments Scheme

Patients registering with our practice can also register for this service where your local pharmacist can provide treatment for minor ailments as an alternative to seeing a GP.

Home Visits

Home visits will only be made to patients who are unable to attend surgery on clinical grounds and need to be requested before 10am except in an emergency. 

Any visits requested after this time can cause considerable problems to the doctor on call and can result in the delay/cancellation of surgeries, disrupting appointments made for a larger number of people.

If there is an emergency it is usually quicker to attend the surgery where there are more facilities, unless the patient is genuinely housebound.

When requesting a visit you will be asked for a brief description of the problem.  This is in order that the doctor can assess the urgency of the call.

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)