Appointments

All surgeries are by appointment only and can be booked well in advance - we encourage patients to do this. You are free to choose whichever doctor or nurse you wish to see for routine appointments.

Urgent cases are always fitted in the same day and given a time to attend but it will not be possible to choose which doctor or nurse you see.

Appointments can be made by calling in person, by telephone or online via Patient Access.

In a number of cases it might be worth considering an appointment with a practice nurse rather than a doctor. Nurses based at our practice treat patients for a wide range of common conditions (e.g. minor injuries/illnesses, removing stitches, travel vaccinations, immunisations and so on). Our practice nurse is also specially trained to run routine clinics for certain conditions, such as diabetes and heart disease.

Extended Access

Please note we now offer routine out-of-hours appointments on various evenings from 18:30-19:30.

This is to accommodate our patients who work during the day and parents who need appointments out of school hours.

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.

Surgery Facilities

Our building is approximately 12 years old and very futuristic and energy efficient. It carries a very low carbon footprint.

Here are some of the features our patients can enjoy:

An induction hearing aid loop is available - receptionists will help.

There is ramped access at the main entrance designed with wheelchair users and disabled patients in mind.

Some services are provided on the first floor - mainly by Health Visitors and District Nurses and a lift is available to aid access. If help is needed please ask at reception.

Car parking available at the rear of the building with designated disabled bays.

Disabled toilet facilities are available on both floors.

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 10:30am.

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 old.

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)

We offer routine out-of-hours appointments on various evenings from 18:30-19:30.

This is to accommodate our patients who work during the day and parents who need appointments out of school hours.

Over the last 12 months those patient who have taken an extended access appointment have given us excellent feedback and we would like to thank those patients for this.  Please continue to give us your feedback as it is always appreciated.  

The Extended Access appointments are with both our GP partners, Dr Judy Macdonald and Dr Annabella Faulder as well as our nursing team.