In order for you to be directed to the most suitable appointment for you, our receptionists will ask you a series of questions. This is to ascertain the correct appointment for you. You will then be placed on for a telephone or a face to face appointment with either a Doctor, Advanced Nurse practitioner, Nurse, Health care assistant or Phlebotomist depending or your medical need. 

Our telephone lines are open at 8am until 1pm and reopen at 2pm until 6:30pm. As you can imagine our telephone lines are currently extremely busy. We advise patients that there is self help advice on our website and the NHS website. Pharmacists can also be very knowledgeable and helpful. We also have e-consult for administrative help and request for sick notes. 

If you are asked to come into surgery you will still be required to wear a mask or face covering. You will also be asked NOT to come to surgery if you are positive the corona virus, however if the clinician feels they need to see you face to face, you can still be seen. They may take additional precautions during this appointment or ask you to be seen in the car park.

Doctor Appointments

Appointments with a doctor can be made up to two to three weeks in advance. The Surgery can be very busy so we ask where possible that you make appointments via the telephone. You can speak to any of our doctors at the surgery for a routine telephone consultation appointment. When a  face to face appointment is made with our doctors and nurses you will still be asked to wear a mask to the surgery. Appointments for nurses, health care assistant and blood tests appointments can be made several weeks in advance. 

Nurse, Health Care Assistant and Blood Test Appointments

We have practice nurses at the surgery every day. Our Health Care Assistant has clinics four days a week and the Phlebotomist’s (who take blood) have a total of 6 clinics every morning of the week. You can book appointments for our Nurses, Health Care Assistant and Phlebotomist in advance. Please note that this is only a guide and subject to change due to staff leave or illness.

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.

SMS Service

We can now text you your appointment details. Please let the receptionist know your mobile phone number. You can also receive an appointment reminder the day before your appointment. If you do not wish to receive this service, please let the receptionist know.

If you have any signs or symptoms of a UTI you will need to contact the surgery by telephone and bring a sample to the surgery by 11am. You will need to answer questions over the phone with regards to your symptoms which could be any of the following:

• fever
• cloudy urine
• painful/difficult urination
• getting up in the night to pee
• frequency
• urgency
• pain in side or above groin
• blood in urine 

The sample will need to arrive by 11. Depending on your age and symptoms the sample will either be dipped by a Nurse/HCA and/or sent to the laboratory for testing. You will be contacted with the results with either advice or to collect an antibiotic from the pharmacy. For further information please click on this Patient information leaflet if you are under 65. If you are over 65 please click on this Patient Information Leaflet  

If you are bringing a sample to surgery before 11 please print the form below and bring it with the sample. The sample will need to be in a sterile container. 

Urine Form Feb 2021

A number of posts are circulating on social media as well as within the media about the national data opt-out containing incorrect information. Please click on the link below which  looks at these claims and gives you the facts you need to make your choice.

https://digital.nhs.uk/services/national-data-opt-out/mythbusting-social-media-posts

If you still wish to opt out, please print out and complete the form below and send it to us either by emailing it to us to

sxicb-bh.g81076@nhs.net or by posting it in our post box outside of the surgery or by post. 

Type-1-opt-out-preferences

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 will need to contact the surgery BEFORE 11am on the day that you wish for the visit to take place.

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. The doctor will phone first before visiting. 

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.

Complaints

We make every effort to give the best service possible to everyone who attends our practice.

However, we are aware that things can go wrong resulting in a patient feeling that they have a genuine cause for complaint. If this is so, we would wish for the matter to be settled as quickly, and as amicably, as possible.

To pursue a complaint please contact the practice manager who will deal with your concerns appropriately, please find contact information below:

Practice Manager: Sue Ward

Email: sue.ward@nhs.net