One of the Practice nurses will then contact you.

If you are planning to travel abroad and you feel travel vaccines may be required please collect a travel risk assessment form from the surgery – or print off a copy of the form in the link below.

We will direct you to a local Travel clinic if private vaccines are required. There will be a charge for private vaccines.

There is further information about countries and vaccinations required on the link below:

It is important to take care whilst travelling.  Please take a look at our travel advice leaflet below.

If your test results show that you need more tests or treatment, we will contact you.

Please call after 12.00 to enquire about your test results as our reception staff will have more time to deal with your request at this time.

Note that the practice has a strict policy regarding confidentiality and data protection and we will only release test results to the patient directly unless that person has given prior permission for the release of this data or they are not capable of understanding the results.

When you are requested to take a test, your GP or nurse will tell you when you can expect the results to be available. You may receive some test results by SMS text, if the doctor feels that is appropriate. For those patients with access to the NHS App or Online Access to your records, you will also be able to view some test results online, once they have been checked by the doctor.

It is your responsibility to check your results and to make an appointment to discuss them with your doctor if you are advised to do so.

HOW DO I REGISTER FOR PATIENT ACCESS

You must be a fully registered patient, and need a letter from us containing personalised access codes.  To get this letter you need to come to Reception and ask for registration for Patient Access.  You will need to show some photo ID e.g. passport/driving licence.  The Receptionist will ask you to complete the relevant form(s).  You will be texted/emailed or asked to collect your registration letter containing your access codes, this process can take up to 28 working days.  Once you receive your access codes you can connect to the web site at any time and register.

WHAT ID CAN I USE

In special circumstances and for children we will accept a birth certificate.

WHAT ABOUT MY PARTNER/CHILDREN?

We ask all patients 11 years and older to complete their own online patient access form.  They will then be provided with their own login details.

We understand it is not always easy to get to the surgery, so we will accept collection of forms by family members but we do ask that each patient signs their own form(s), and presents themselves for our reception staff to witness.

PROXY ACCESS

On some occasions you may need to organise access for another person (usually a family member or someone else you care for) who is unable to manage their care online themselves. This is called proxy access. Sometimes they will be able to grant you access to their records by completing the Proxy Access form at the bottom of this page or other times we may need to consider a ‘Best Interests’ approach. Please speak to the practice if you need help with any of this.

HOW DO I GET ONTO PATIENT ACCESS

You can visit this page by clicking on the link on the home page.  The first time you use the site you will be asked to create your account.  Here you will need to enter your access codes contained in your Registration letter given to you by the practice.

CAN I PRINT THE FORMS AT HOME?

Yes, all the necessary forms and step by step guidance is available on our website.  You are welcome to complete your forms at home and present them, along with your ID to our receptionist.

ONLINE APPLICATION FORMS & GUIDANCE

Please use the links below to download the practice guidance and application forms.  The application form needs to be completed and handed to reception with your photographic ID and confirmation of your current address.

We offer a comprehensive nurse led service for patients with stable long term conditions. 

This includes advice and monitoring for patients with:

• High Blood Pressure
• Diabetes
• Kidney Disease
• Asthma
• Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary (Lung) Disease
• Heart Conditions (including stable angina, heart failure and atrial fibrillation)
• Following a stroke (CVA or TIA)
• Influenza and pneumonia immunisation
• Epilepsy
• Thyroid Disease
• Osteoporosis
• Other illnesses including some neurological, stomach, liver and joint conditions

We also use our community District Nurses and Community Matron to deliver similar services for the genuinely housebound.

Please ensure you have your routine reviews with one of our nurse team.  If you or the nurse thinks your condition has deteriorated or  you are ill, you will need to see one of the doctors.

Why do GPs charge fees?

Isn’t the NHS supposed to be free?

The National Health Service provides most health care to most people free of charge, but there are exceptions: prescription charges have existed since 1951, and there are a number of other services for which fees are charged.  Sometimes the charge is made to cover some of the cost of treatment, for example, dental fees; in other cases, it is because the service is not covered by the NHS, for example, medical reports for insurance companies.

Surely the doctor is being paid anyway?

It is important to understand that GPs are not employed by the NHS, they are self-employed, and they have to cover their costs – staff, buildings, heating, lighting, etc – in the same way as any small business.  The NHS covers these costs for NHS work, but for non-NHS work the fee has to cover the doctor’s costs.

What is covered by the NHS and what is not?

The Government’s contract with GPs covers medical services to NHS patients.  In recent years, more and more organisations have been involving doctors in a whole range of non-medical work.  Sometimes the only reason that GPs are asked is because they are in a position of trust in the community, or because an insurance company or employer wants to be sure that information provided is true and accurate.

Examples of non-NHS services for which GPs can charge their NHS patients are:

• Certain travel vaccinations
• Private medical insurance reports

Examples of non-NHS services for which a GP can charge other institutions are:

• Medical reports for an insurance company
• Some reports for the DSS/Benefits Agency

I only need a doctor’s signature – what is the problem?

When a doctor signs a medical certificate or completes a report, it is a condition of remaining on the Medical Register that they only sign what they know to be true.  In order to complete even the simplest of forms, therefore, the doctor might have to check the patient’s entire medical record.  Carelessness or an inaccurate report can have serious consequences for the doctor with the General Medical Council or even the Police.

What will I be charged?

The BMA recommends that GPs tell patients in advance if they will be charged, and how much.  It is up to the individual doctor to decide how much to charge.  The surgery will have a list of fees either in the waiting room, or available on the website. See the link below

What can I do to help?

• Not all documents need signature by a doctor.  For example, you could ask another person in a position of trust, who may be willing to sign a passport application free of charge.
• If you have several forms requiring completion, present them all at once and ask the receptionist/GP if he or she is prepared to complete them all at once as a ‘job lot’ at a reduced price
• Do not expect the GP to process forms overnight; urgent requests may mean that the doctor has to make special arrangements to process the form quickly, and this will cost more.

Please follow the link below to see a list of charges for non NHS work undertaken by the practice.

We offer a same day service for patients who have had a minor injury. 

We will fit patients in for minor trauma and wounds on the same day to avoid the need to go to A&E such as:

• Bruises
• Following recent injury of a severity non suitable to simple domestic first aid
• Following recent injury where it is suspected stitches may be required
• Folling blows to the head where there has been no loss of consciousness
• Recent eye injury
• Minor burns or scalds involving broken skin
• Foreign bodies superficially embedded in tissues
• Minor trauma to hands, limbs or feet
• Suture (stitch) removal following a visit to A&E or minor operation at the surgery

The problem with “minor illnesses” is that they can make you feel quite ill and miserable. Fortunately most get better without the help of a doctor or nurse.

• Coughs, Cold, Sticky Eyes and Running Noses
• Diarrhoea & Vomiting 
• Hayfever
• Sore Throat
• Strains & Sprains
• Backpain

REMEMBER:

• Your local pharmacist is a great source of help and advice as is the NHS website at www.nhs.uk
• Make sure you have a good supply of paracetamol or ibuprofen from your pharmacy or supermarket
• Most illnesses get better with time and self treatment, but colds can last for 2 weeks

If you need further help with any of the illnesses above, speak to the reception team before making an appointment.

Ear Irrigation

There are numerous do-it-yourself (DIY) earwax removal kits available on the market, however they can pose significant risks.

Irrigation devices can scratch or damage the sensitive skin of the ear canal and there is a risk of perforating the eardrum, which can lead to pain, infection, and hearing loss.

We are seeing an increase in patients attending the surgery following injury from using a do-it-yourself at home ear irrigator.

Please ensure you see a qualified clinician for ear irrigation.

The seasonal flu vaccination clinics are available between October and March. Some of our clinics may be booked at the Pirelli Stadium.

Please book an appointment if you are eligible for this.

Influenza – flu – is a highly infectious and potentially serious illness caused by influenza viruses.  Each year the make-up of the seasonal flu vaccine is designed to protect against the influenza viruses that the World Health Organization decide are most likely to be circulating in the coming winter.

Regular immunisation (vaccination) is given free of charge to the following at-risk people, to protect them from seasonal flu:

• People aged 65 or over
• People living in a residential or nursing home
• The main carers for an elderly or disabled person whose welfare may be at risk if the carer becomes ill
• Health care or social care professionals directly involved in patient care
• Those who work in close contact with poultry, such as chickens
• People with a serious medical condition:
  • Chronic respiratory disease (COPD/asthma)
  • Chronic heart disease
  • Chronic renal disease
  • Chronic liver disease
  • Chronic neurological disease (stroke/TIA)
  • Diabetes
  • Immunosuppression
• The above list of eligible patients can change from year to year, so on some years you may be included and others, you may not be. The practice will contact eligible patients each year to remind them to book their flu vaccine.

Resources

For more information on flu immunisation, including background information on the vaccine and how you can get the jab, see Seasonal flu jab.

There is a full guide on the NHS immunisation website.

Please find below the appropriate guides, leaflets and forms surroiunding Asthma