Blog Archive

Are you open on Bank Holidays?

No, we are closed on Bank Holidays. However, if you need medical advice or attention during this time you can:

Visit your pharmacy – Your local pharmacy can provide confidential, expert advice and treatment for a range of common illnesses and complaint. Visit NHS Choices to find a pharmacy open near you.

Call NHS 111 – If you need urgent medical advice but your condition is not life threatening. NHS 111 Is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Calls are free from landlines and mobiles.

A&E or 999 – for a genuine medical emergency including; loss of consciousness, acute confused state and fits that are not stopping, persistent and/or severe chest pain, breathing difficulties, severe bleeding that cannot be stopped.

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What is CQC?

The CQC (Care Quality Commission) is the organisation making sure health and social care services provide people with safe, effective, compassionate, high-quality care and encourage care services to improve.

Before a care provider can carry out any of the activities that regulated by the CQC, they must register and satisfy them that they will be able to meet a number of legal requirements. Activities regulated includes the treatment, care and support provided by hospitals, GP practices, dental practices, ambulance services, care homes and home-care agencies.

For more information about the CQC, you can visit their website.

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Why does the receptionist need to ask what’s wrong with me?

The reception staff are members of the practice team and it has been agreed they should ask patients ‘why they need to be seen’. Reception staff are trained to ask certain questions in order to ensure that you receive the most appropriate medical care from the most appropriate health professional at the most appropriate time.

The receptionists are asked to collect brief information from patients to help:
– doctors prioritise house visits and phone calls
– ensure patients receive the appropriate level of care
– direct patients to see the nurse or other health professionals rather than a doctor where appropriate.

Reception staff, like all members of the team, are bound by confidentiality rules:
– Any information given by you is treated strictly confidentially.
– The practice would take any breach of confidentiality very seriously and deal with it accordingly.
– You can ask to speak to the receptionist in private, away from the reception desk.
– However, if you feel your issue is very private and do not wish to say what this is, then this will be respected.

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What are the NHS Prescription Charges?

These charges apply in England only. In Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales prescriptions are free of charge.

Prescription (per item): £9.15
12-month prepayment certificate (PPC): £105.90
3-month PPC: £29.65

If you will have to pay for four or more prescription items in three months, or more than 15 items in 12 months, you may find it cheaper to buy a PPC.

Telephone advice and order line 0845 850 0030
General Public – Buy or Renew a PPC On-line

There is further information about prescription exemptions and fees on the NHS website.

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How do I get my test results?

Results Of Tests And Investigations

We will contact you by telephone, or by letter, only if a result is abnormal and you require treatment or further investigations. You will not be contacted if your result is normal. If you wish to enquire about the results of your tests please telephone at the end of surgery sessions. The administrative staff will give results to you or you may be asked to speak to the nurse or doctor. Adults’ results will not be given to anyone other than the patient, except in exceptional circumstances.

Blood Tests

A blood test is when a sample of blood is taken for testing in a laboratory. Blood tests have a wide range of uses and are one of the most common types of medical test. For example, a blood test can be used to:

assess your general state of health
confirm the presence of a bacterial or viral infection
see how well certain organs, such as the liver and kidneys, are functioning

A blood test usually involves the phlebotomist taking a blood sample from a blood vessel in your arm and the usual place for a sample is the inside of the elbow or wrist, where the veins are relatively close to the surface. Blood samples from children are most commonly taken from the back of the hand. The childs hand will be anaesthetised (numbed) with a special cream before the sample is taken.

You can find out more about blood tests, their purpose and the way they are performed on the NHS Choices website.

X-Rays

An X-ray is a widely used diagnostic test to examine the inside of the body. X-rays are a very effective way of detecting problems with bones, such as fractures. They can also often identify problems with soft tissue, such as pneumonia or breast cancer.

If you have an X-ray, you will be asked to lie on a table or stand against a surface so that the part of your body being X-rayed is between the X-ray tube and the photographic plate.

An X-ray is usually carried out by a radiographer, a healthcare professional who specialises in using imaging technology, such as X-rays and ultrasound scanners.

You can find out more about x-ray tests, how they are performed, their function and the risks by visiting the NHS Choices website.

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How do I obtain a sickness certificate?

Self Certification Sick/Fit Note for less than 7 days

If you have been ill for 7 days or less you don’t need to see a Doctor. You can complete a Self-Certification form yourself. However some employers insist on a Doctor’s note regardless. A Doctors note under these circumstances involves a charge of £10.

Many employers have their own self-certification forms. If your employer doesn’t have its own form you can download the Self Certification Form. Please print it, fill it in and hand it in to your employer. You do not need to see a Doctor.

Doctor’s Sick/Fit Note for more than 7 days

If you have been ill for more than 7 days you will need a doctor’s certificate. These certificates are called ‘Fitness to Work’ Certificates.

The doctor may call you or arrange for an appointment.

If you have already been seen by your Doctor about this illness your certificate will be sent to you within a week.

Requesting an additional Sick/Fit Note

If you have already had a Sick Note (Fit Note) for this illness your Doctor may not need to see you to issue an additional Sick Note. Please complete this form. We will contact you to let you know when you can collect your Sick / Fit Note or we may contact you to arrange an appointment.

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How do I arrange a home visit?

Patients are requested, where possible, to telephone before 09:30 if a home visit is required that day.

We would request that, apart from the genuinely housebound, all other patients attend the surgery rather than request a home visit because of the extra time home visiting takes. On average four to five patients can be seen in surgery in the time it takes to do a single house call. In addition, the care that can be offered due to the lack of adequate lighting, examination facilities and equipment means that you may not receive as good a service as the doctor may be able to offer if you came to the surgery.

Please note that the doctor may telephone you rather than visit you if this is medically appropriate. Ultimately it is the doctors right to decide whether or not a visit is appropriate for a particular set of circumstances.