HOW
DO I...
MAKE
AN APPOINTMENT?
All surgeries, with both the doctor and the nurse, are by appointment only,
and appointments are available at various times.
If you need to see a doctor
urgently, or on a particular day when no appointment is available, the receptionist
will take your contact details and the duty doctor will call you back. You will
then be given telephone advice or an appointment to see the doctor or nurse as
appropriate. We book 10 minutes for every routine appointment and we endeavour
to run our surgeries punctually. Inevitably, we may sometimes have to see emergencies
in the surgery, or we may have to go out on an urgent visit. In addition, some
patients may need more time than others. We hope, therefore, you will understand
if surgeries sometimes run late. If you think you will need more than 10 minutes
to discuss your problem, please advise the receptionist at time of booking.
If
you are unable to attend your appointment please inform us, so that the time can
be given to another patient.
HOW
DO I...
OBTAIN
A HOME VISIT?
In certain circumstances,
we may need to visit you at home, but generally, home visits will only be made
to patients who are housebound or terminally ill. Home visits are at the discretion
of the doctor. Please do not ask the doctor to call unless the patient is genuinely
too ill to come to the surgery. 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 on arrival. When the condition of the patient does require a
home visit, please try to give notice before 10.30am on the same day that the
visit is required. When you request a visit the receptionist will ask for full
details of the patient’s name, address, age and telephone number and the
reason for the visit. This information enables the doctors to plan their calls
and allows urgent visits to be dealt with promptly.
HOW
DO I...
OBTAIN
A TEST RESULT?
Results of investigations are sent to the surgery and checked by the doctor.
This may take anything from a few days to several weeks. We ask you to contact
the surgery to obtain your results after 11.30am. The receptionist will tell you
whether the result is normal, or whether you should speak to the doctor or make
an appointment to see the doctor.
If the results need urgent attention
we will make every effort to contact you. For this reason, please keep us informed
of any changes in address or telephone number.
