Appointments

Consultations are by appointment only and can be booked by phone, or in person.  We are aiming to offer an online booking service in the future

There are different types of appointment

Advance booking

For non-urgent problems we encourage the use of our advance booking appointments, which should offer you some flexibility in terms of choosing a convenient time and day in the future

These are offered with either a GP, Nurse or Health Care Assistant

If you request to see a particular Doctor, you may have to wait longer

Same Day Appointment

If you feel your problem is more urgent, you will be asked to leave some details of the problem, and the on-call Doctor or Nurse Practitioner will contact you to decide on the best course of action for you

You may then be given an same day appointment (often with less flexibility in terms of appointment time) to see either our Nurse Practitioner or the on-call doctor

This on-call doctor may not be the doctor that you know best, but will have full access to your medical notes and history

Telephone Appointment

This is appropriate if you feel that a face-to-face appointment and physical examination is not necessary and phone advice might suffice.  Usually sick-line renewals can be dealt with by phone.

We would advise against accepting this option if you were initially looking for a face-to-face option, but the doctor or day of your choice was not available

Practice Nurses

In a number of cases it might be worth considering an appointment with a practice nurse rather than a doctor. Practice nurses are qualified to deal with many ailments and you may be seen more quickly.

Nurse Practitioner

Our Nurse Practitioner works closely with our Practice Nurses and our Duty Doctor, she assesses patients on the day and provides treatment where required.

Cancellations

If you cannot attend an appointment for any reason please inform us as soon as possible in order for us to give the slot to someone else.
 

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 10:00.

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. 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.

Training Practice

When booking an appointment you may be offered a consultation with one of our excellent training doctors. We are confident that they offer modern, effective and caring treatment.

FY2 Doctors - Foundation Year 2 Doctors

This is a fairly new scheme whereby newly qualified Doctors move onto a programme structure of diagnosis and management of patients not simply in hospitals but also in mental health and general practice. These Doctors have had at least 12 months of experience in hospital medicine after qualifying before they come to general practice.

FY2 Doctors are placed with a Practice for 4 months and will have their own surgery when they see patients. They are supervised by one of our GP Trainers during their experience of working in general practice.

S T1 Doctors

An ST1 is an experienced doctor who has been qualified for a while and has now decided to pursue general practice.

The Practice takes on an ST1 in August or February, and they are based in the Practice for  6 months. They are different from an FY2 doctor as they are not experiencing working in a GP setting; they are actually training to become a GP. As such they will have their own surgeries, but they will still be supervised by their GP trainer. However, as they become more experienced, their surgeries will be the same as any of the GPs working within the Practice. They will also attend for home visits.

Most ST1s return to the Practice for their ST3 year.

ST3 Doctors

An ST3 GP registrar is a qualified Doctor and has now decided to pursue a career in General Practice.

This is their third year of GP training and will have their own surgeries, but they will still be supervised by their GP trainer. The ST3 Doctor will be with the Practice for one year.

Video Surgeries

As part of their training, some consultations are recorded and reviewed by the trainee and a partner. You may be asked to for your permission to be recorded for these training purposes, and if you have any concerns, of course you have the right to refuse.
 

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)