Appointments

APPOINTMENTS WITH A GP.

• Due to the current ongoing Covid19 pandemic, all requests for a face to face appointment with a GP will be triaged first.
• Our receptionists will ask you some questions in order to assess the urgency of the situation.
• A GP WILL THEN DECIDE THE NEED FOR A FACE TO FACE APPT AND ALLOCATE ACCORDINGLY.
• We no longer offer a walk in/open surgery for the GP.

 TREATMENT ROOM APPOINTMENTS

The practice nurse is available strictly by appointment on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday.

• Appointments at the treatment room should be booked in advance.
• Out receptionists may ask some questions in order to to allow the nurse enough time for your appointment.
• We no longer offer a walk in/open surgery for the treatment room.

Emergencies

Monday – Friday 08:30  – 18:00

In the case of an emergency please telephone the surgery and your will be directed from there on what to do next (028 9070 9079).

Telephone Advice/Triage

If you wish to speak to the doctor or nurse, please telephone reception and give full details of the problem/query.  The receptionist will inform you when you can ring back or take your telephone number so that someone can return your call.  Patients requesting a same day appointment may be asked to speak to the doctor to ascertain if an urgent appointment is necessary.

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. Failure to keep an appointment causes inconvenience and denies other patients the opportunity to see the doctor. We operate a strict DNA (Did Not Attend) policy for patients who fail to attend booked appointments.

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 10:30.

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.

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)