Appointments

Seeing the Doctor

The doctor can be seen by appointment, which can be made with the receptionist, either by calling at the surgery or by telephoning 94 472575.  We also operate a system of same day appointments which are released on the day and are offered on a first come, first service basis.

At certain times throughout the week we offer a triage service whereby a GP will ring you and discuss your symptoms.  If you need to see a GP you will be offered an appointment.

Please make one appointment per person – delays are caused for everyone if two people are seen in one appointment.

Appointments

Appointments are for 10 minutes although some patients’ problems may take longer than others, so please be patient if there is some delay.  If you feel you will need a longer appointment than usual, please let the receptionist know.

Emergency Appointments

If you have an urgent problem, although you will be able to see a doctor the same day, it will be the first doctor available and may not be your usual doctor. 

These appointments are only for five minutes and will deal quickly with the immediate problem.

Please do not bring up other unrelated problems.  The receptionist will ask you for some brief details about the complaint as sometimes the doctor may decide your problem can be dealt with by telephone advice.

Telephone Calls to the Doctors 

Please remember that the doctors’ day is fully booked and that staff have been asked not to disturb consultations with non-urgent calls.  Should you wish to speak to a doctor please leave a message with the receptionist who will pass it on to the doctor who will in turn ring you back outside of surgery hours.

Please note: Due to the day-to-day demands of the practice the doctors can only accept a certain amount of telephone calls and you may be asked to ring back the next day.  As calls are accepted on a first come first served basis please RING EARLY.

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.

We have a DNA Policy for patients who do not attend their appointment and have not cancelled their appointment on a timely basis.  If you DNA you will be sent a warning by the practice.  If you DNA 3 times within a 3 month period you may be asked to leave the practice.

Home Visits

Home visits are only for patients who are too ill to attend the practice.  Should you require a home visit please ring the practice before 11:00am.  The receptionist will ask you a few details to allow the doctor to assess the urgency of your call and facilitate planning of the doctors visits. The reception staff are bound by the same code of confidentiality as the medical staff, so do not be afraid to give them some sort of idea as to what the problem is.

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.

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)

Medical Students

The practice has for many years been involved in the education of medical students from the Queen’s University of Belfast.  At periods throughout the year a student will be attached to the practice, and during that time will accompany doctors during surgeries, home visits and clinics.  Patients will always be informed if a student is present and their permission obtained in advance.

GP Registrars

Dr Bill has been a post-graduate trainer in general practice since 2007. A GP Registrar is attached to the practice most years.  They are fully qualified doctors, who have spent a number of years in appropriate hospital posts and are in their final year of the vocational training scheme for general practice. This doctor carries out identical duties to those of the partners in the practice. 

The training registrar is required to video some consultations for teaching and examinations purposes, and would only be seen by the partners or examiners who are doctors themselves.

If your consultation is to be videoed, you will be informed, and have the opportunity to say no.  Please be assured that if you do say no, there will be no offence taken and it will not affect your medical care.

Clinical Research

The practice is involved in carrying out clinical research and drug trials on behalf of drug companies.  These drugs have already been well researched but the end stage of the research is undertaken within a primary care setting.  Patients may be contacted to participate in these trials; the research nurse Gillian Walker or Dr McCaughey will discuss all aspects of the trial with patients.  Consent is purely at the individuals’ discretion.