PRACTICE SERVICES

We perform home visits for those patients not physically able to make it to the surgery. If you feel that you need a home visit please try to contact the surgery before 11:30 am. You will normally receive a telephone call from the on call doctor prior to any visit. It may be that alternative arrangements may be made rather than a doctor visit. These may involve the district nursing team or our Chronic Disease Community Matron. Urgent visits will be performed the same day and we will normally be able to give you an indication of when the visit is likely to take place (this may be subject to change depending on the workload of the day). If your condition changes whilst you are awaiting your visit please contact the surgery.

These are now referred to as Fit For Work Certificates

If a note is necessary following a consultation (either in person or by phone) this will be issued by the doctor. If you are requesting continuation of a sick note please do this via reception in person.

PLEASE BE AWARE THAT NOTES CAN BE BACK DATED IF APPROPRIATE.

If you require a note whilst recovering from an operation or other hospital stay and this has not been issued by the hospital please request this at reception. You may be asked for copies of your discharge letter if we do not already have these.

If you are off sick for 7 days or less you can use the following form:

• Cervical screening (a smear test) checks the health of your cervix, which is the opening to your womb from your vagina.
• It’s not a test for cancer, it’s a test to help prevent cancer.
• All women and people with a cervix aged 25 to 64 should be invited by letter.
• During the screening appointment, a small sample of cells will be taken from your cervix.
• The sample is tested for changes to the cells of your cervix.
• Finding abnormal changes early means they can be monitored or treated so they do not get a chance to turn into cervical cancer.
• Approximately 2 weeks after screening, you will get your results by letter.

To arrange a cervical ccreening appointment, please telephone the Practice.

Cervical screening saves 5000 lives a year. It is not a test for cervical cancer, it is a screening test to detect abnormalities in the cells of the cervix at an early stage.When you receive an invitation to cervical screening from the Practice, please, don’t ignore it. It takes just a few minutes and could save your life.

• First time being screen, or nervous? tell the Nurse/Doctor, and try to relax and distract your mind
• Worried about discomfort? Ask the Nurse/Doctor to use a smaller speculum
• Feeling embarrassed? Wear a skirt to your appointment as you can keep this on during the procedure
• Don’t want to go alone? Take a friend with you, to keep you company in the Waiting Room, and be there for you after the screening
• Undergone FGM/cutting in the past? Tell the Nurse/Doctor
• Not sure what to expect? Go to www.jostrust.org.uk or call 0808 802 800

The NHS in England is introducing the Summary Care Record, which will be used in emergency care. The record will contain information about any medicines you are taking, allergies you suffer from and any bad reactions to medicines you have had, to ensure those caring for you have enough information to treat you safely.

As a patient you have a choice:

Yes I would like a Summary Care Record
You do not need to do anything and a Summary Care Record will be created for you. Healthcare staff will ask your permission before they look at your record, except in certain circumstances for example if you are unconscious.

No I do not want a Summary Care Record
Please click here for an opt out form. This form should be printed, completed, sealed and returned, or alternatively returned to the practice.

Additional copies of the opt out form can be picked up from the practice or requested from the dedicated NHS Summary Care Record Information line on 0300 123 3020.

The Summary Care Record leaflet provides more information to help you decide.

For more information, telephone the dedicated NHS Summary Care Record Information Line on 0300 123 3020 or visit the website where you can find information in other formats and languages.

You can choose not to have a Summary Care Record and you can change your mind at any time by informing the surgery.

If you do nothing we will assume that you are happy with these changes and create a Summary Care Record for you. If you are the parent or guardian of a child under 16 and feel that they are old enough to understand, then you should make this information available to them.

An interpreting service is available free of charge for patients using GP and NHS Hospital Services in England. This includes interpreting for people who are deaf or deaf/blind.

We do not allow children to act as interpreters during your treatment or appointments.

A member of the Team from the Practice or the Hospital Department dealing with your treatment or appointment will arrange the interpreter. To make sure we can support you effectively we need you to do certain things so please do let us know you need interpreting help as soon as possible. Preferably, this should be as soon as you make an appointment with your GP.

• If you are going into Hospital, contact the Ward or Department to let them know you need an interpreter, as soon as you receive your Hospital appointment. You may need a friend or relative who speaks English to tell us that you need an interpreter, the first time.
• Be sure to let us know if you will not be coming for your appointment or treatment. If you do not tell us you might stop another patient getting the help they need.
• Be sure to tell us if you will be late for your appointment or treatment. Another patient somewhere else might need the interpreter. If you are late the next patient might miss their appointment or not get the help they need.
• Let us know if you have had any problems with communication during your appointment or treatment. This will help us improve the service.
• Tell us if communication was good. This also helps us provide a good service.

Contact us on 0121 449 0300 to book your travel clinic appointment (please note these appointments cannot be booked online.)

Prior to travelling please allow as much time as possible to arrange your appointment for the Travel Clinic (preferably at least 6 weeks or more), which will be with the Practice Nurse. The Nurse will require to know which countries, and areas within countries, that you are visiting to determine what vaccinations are required.

It is important to make this initial appointment as early as possible – at least 2 months before you travel – as a second appointment will be required with the Practice Nurse to actually receive the vaccinations.These vaccines have to be ordered as they are not a stock vaccine. Your second appointment needs to be at least 2 weeks before you travel to allow the vaccines to work.

Please note only the undernoted vaccines are available on NHS Prescriptions:-

Hepatitis A
Typhoid
Diphtheria
Tetanus
Polio