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Need to cancel an appointment?
Every week appointments are wasted. If you need to cancel an appointment, even at short notice, plese TEXT and allow this appointment to be used by someone else.
In the TEXT please give your name, appointment time and who you were due to see. Please note that this mobile ONLY accepts TEXTS - no calls will be answered. Do not use this number for any other purpose, appointment cancellations ONLY.
Thank-you for your cooperation
TEXT: 07938 448279
Thank you.
Tips for booking appointments
It is a continuing challenge to offer appointments with appropriate urgency, with the person you want to see, at a time that is convenient. Nevertheless this is our aim. Currently about half of our appointments are ‘Book-on-Day’ and half are ‘Book-in-Advance’.
If you need an appointment for continuity, then phone up to 2 weeks in advance and you have a good chance of seeing the person you want. If it’s a more urgent problem, or a simple matter that you’d like dealt with quickly, phone after 8:00am for a ‘Book-on-Day’ appointment. Mondays are by far the busiest day of the week, so try later in the week for more choice, and the phones are busiest in the morning, so if you want an advance appointment, try phoning in the afternoon.
We do appreciate how frustrating it is to have to wait to see the person you want to see, but with 19,000 patients and a limited amount of consulting rooms, some pressure in the system is sadly inevitable. Don’t forget to cancel any unwanted appointments; even if it’s only with an hour’s notice, you’d be surprised how many people would like that vacant slot. We thank you for your cooperation.
HOW DO I...
REGISTER WITH THE PRACTICE ?
Bring your medical card if available to the reception.You will be offered an appointment for a new patient interview with our practice nurse when you register.
HOW DO I...
OBTAIN TELEPHONE ADVICE ?
The surgery attempts to answer your telephone call as quickly as possible. Once connected you may be put on hold.
Please try not to ring the surgery on Monday morning for routine enquiries and appointments.
HOW DO I...
MAKE AN APPOINTMENT ?
Appointments to see the doctor can be made by calling at, or telephoning, the surgery.
Audley Mills Surgery 08444 778596
(Emergencies take priority at all times)
Alternatively register with SystemOnline for to book routine appointments online at the SystmOnline page
You may consult any of the doctors but, as it is important for doctor and patient to get to know each other, you should try to keep to the same doctor whenever possible.
If you consider your condition urgent, you can always be seen the same day but not necessarily by the doctor of your choice. As your appointment is not a routine one you may have to wait longer in the surgery than usual.
If you have more than one problem to discuss with the doctor, there may not be sufficient time to deal with the second and subsequent problems in a single consultation. Please be sure to deal with the most important problem first. If the doctor feels that a problem cannot be adequately dealt with in the time available you may be asked to book another appointment.
Approximately half of available appointments are bookable in advance.
Additionally, we start each day with around 100 routine ‘book-on-day’ appointments available. These appointments are not released for booking until 7.30am on the day in question. The phones may be very busy early in the morning with people booking these appointments.
We also conduct three urgent cases surgeries each day. These are for people with problems that cannot wait until the next working day. If there are a lot of urgent cases you may have to wait in surgery more than 30 minutes to be seen. Please do not abuse this service, as such abuse may result in delays in treatment for those in greatest need.
If you cannot keep an appointment, please let us know as someone else might like it or we might be able to fit in an urgent case.
HOW DO I...
OBTAIN A HOME VISIT ?
If you need to see the doctor but are not well enough to get to the surgery please telephone on 08444 778596 before 10.00am.
Please remember that a doctor can see six patients in the surgery in the same time as one house-call. On occasions the doctor will need equipment only available in the surgery. Please can you make every effort to get to the surgery using help from a neighbour or taxi, if necessary.
House calls are only available for patients who are medically unable to come to the surgery. It is for the doctor to decide whether it is appropriate to visit.
If you request a house call, our receptionists are under instruction to obtain sufficient information so that the doctors can judge whether a home visit is necessary and how urgent it is. Please anticipate appropriate questioning.
GUIDELINES FOR HOME VISITS |
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| 1. GP VISIT RECOMMENDED |
GP home visiting makes clinical sense and is the best way of giving a medical opinion in cases involving:
The terminally ill
The truly bed-bound patient, for whom travel to premises by car would cause a deterioration in their medical condition or unacceptable discomfort |
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| 2. GP VISIT MAY BE USEFUL |
After initial assessment over the telephone, a seriously ill patient may be helped by a GP’s attendance to prepare them for travel to hospital - that is, where a GP’s other commitments do not prevent them from arriving before the ambulance. Examples of such situations are:
Heart attack
Severe shortness of breath
Severe haemorrhage
It must be understood that if a GP is about to start an emergency surgery in which all patients believe they are urgent and a call for an urgent visit is made as in the examples above, it may be in the patient's interest to call an emergency paramedical ambulance. |
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| 3. GP VISIT IS NOT USUAL |
In most of these cases, to visit would not be an appropriate use of a GP’s time:
Common symptoms of childhood: fevers, cold, cough, earache, headache, diarrhoea/vomiting and most cases of abdominal pain. These patients are usually well enough to travel by car. It is not harmful to take a child with a fever outside. These children may not be fit to travel by bus or to walk, but car transport is available from friends, relatives or taxi firms. It is not a doctor’s job to arrange such transport.
Adults with common problems, such as a cough, sore throat, influenza, back pain and abdominal pain are also transportable by car to a doctor’s premises.
Common problems in the elderly, such as poor mobility, joint pain and general malaise, would also best be treated by consultation at a doctor’s premises. |
HOW DO I...
OBTAIN TEST RESULTS ?
Please ring for results on 08444 778596 if possible after 11.00am.
SPECIMENS
All specimens to go to the hospital laboratory should be brought to the surgery by 12 noon.
BLOOD TESTS
We now provide blood taking services (Phlebotomy) at the sugery, book an appointment in the usual way.
If you prefer to have your blood taken at one of the other local clinics or the hospital then phone (01702) 422555 to book this. Glucose Tolerance Tests must also be booked in this way (they cannot be done at the surgery.
HOW DO I...
OBTAIN A REPEAT PRESCRIPTION ?
If you hand in your request before 10.30am (Monday to Friday) your prescription will be ready after 2.00pm the same day. If you hand in your request after 10.30am your prescription will be ready after 2.00pm the next working day. Requests for repeat prescriptions are not taken by telephone.
Alternatively register with SystemOnline for online prescription requests at the SystmOnline page
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