There are many services available to help you to stay healthy. Some of these services can be accessed directly (see below), and for others you need to be registered with a GP Practice.
- When you wish to consult about your medical condition, you need to contact the Practice with which you are registered to discuss this. If you go along to the Practice and do not have an appointment, you will not be seen. The Practice may ask you to come back at another time, or will discuss how best to arrange advice.
- When you see your practice about a medical condition, they may arrange for further tests to be carried out. If so, they will explain the arrangements for these tests and how you will get the results. These tests may be carried out within the Practice or at another medical facility.
- If your clinician thinks that you need to be seen by a specialist doctor or other healthcare professional, she or he will refer you. You cannot make an appointment to see an NHS specialist without being referred by your clinician.
- If you require medicine the clinician will give you a prescription to take to a pharmacy (or may send the prescription directly to the pharmacy), who will supply the medicine to you.
- If you have a preference for either a male or a female clinician please check with the Practice before you register, as some practices may have only male or only female clinicians.
- The Practice can arrange for an interpreter if required, who will typically work by telephone. If you need to use the interpreting service please ask the Care Navigator to arrange this when making your appointment, as interpreters must usually be booked in advance of any appointment.
- If someone else is contacting the Practice on your behalf, please remind them to ask the Care Navigator to book an interpreter.
- You will be treated with courtesy and respect.
- We will try to answer the phone promptly and ensure there are sufficient staff to do this.
Help your Practice to help you
Practices can be busy places and staff try hard to accommodate their patients – in return you are asked to behave in a polite and considerate manner. It would be appreciated if you would help your Practice keep surgeries running smoothly and ensure that patients are seen at the right time, by:
- When you have an appointment please attend at the time stated, and if you are not able to attend please let the Practice know in advance, so the appointment can be used by someone else who needs it. KEEP IT OR CANCEL IT!
- If you do not attend appointments, the Practice may de-register you. This means that you would stop being a patient of the Practice and you would no longer be seen by them.
- If more than one member of your family needs to see the doctor or other healthcare professional, please book one appointment per patient (or fill out one eConsult per person, per issue).
- If you have to discuss a complex medical issue please let the Care Navigator know so a suitable length of appointment can be arranged.
- Please notify the Practice if you change your address, telephone or mobile phone number.
- Test results take time to reach us, so please do not contact us before you have been asked to do so – typically, for tests taken within the practice, we ask for patients to wait at least 7 days.
- We ask that you treat the doctors and staff with respect and courtesy.
Other help available
- Cough or cold, or if your child has a minor ailment – your Pharmacist may be able to help you
- Eye problem – you should go to an Optometrist
- Dental problem – consider visiting a Dentist
- Foot problem – you can access our Podiatry Services
- Specialist consultation – your clinician will refer you
If you become unwell when your surgery is closed, please dial 111 for the Out of Hours Service.
There are Minor Injuries Units at most hospitals where staff will assess minor injuries such as sprains, burns and simple fractures and either treat them or, if they find a more serious problem, arrange for you to be seen by the most appropriate Healthcare Professional.
