NOTICE TO PATIENTS
URGENT SAME DAY APPOINTMENTS
1. THE SURGERY OFFERS SAME DAY URGENT APPOINTMENTS FOR ALL PATIENTS WITH AN ACUTE ILLNESS. YOU WILL NOT BE TURNED AWAY IF ACUTELY ILL.
2. THESE APPOINTMENTS ARE RELEASED AT 08.00 AM IN THE MORNING AND 3.00 PM FOR THE AFTERNOON SESSION.
3. THE AIM OF THESE APPOINTMENTS ARE TO ENSURE THAT ANY PATIENT WITH AN ACUTE OR IMMEDIATE ILLNESS CAN BE SEEN ON THAT DAY.
4. PATIENTS WILL INITIALLY BE ASSESSED BY THE PRACTICE NURSE WHO WILL TAKE A HISTORY AND OBSERVATIONS AND MAY ORGANISE TREATMENT IF FELT APPROPRIATE BY THE DOCTOR.
5. ALL CASES WHERE IT IS DEEMED APPROPRIATE WILL SEE THE DOCTOR. HOWEVER SOME CASES CAN AND WILL BE MANAGED BY THE PRACTICE NURSE.
6. WE WILL TRY AS CLOSELY AS POSSIBLE TO MINIMISE WAITING TIMES BUT THIS CAN BE AFFECTED BY NUMBERS OF PATIENTS ATTENDING AND COMPLEXITY OF CASES. WE APOLOGISE IF THERE IS AN EXTENDED WAIT AND WE ARE TRYING EACH DAY TO KEEP THIS TO A MINIMUM. THE ON-CALL DOCTOR CAN GET CALLED OUT ON URGENT HOME VISITS AND THIS IN TURN CAN CAUSE UNAVOIDABLE DELAY.
7. PATIENTS SHOULD UNDERSTAND ONLY IMMEDIATE PROBLEMS CAN BE DEALT WITH IN THIS SURGERY.
8. THE SURGERY OFFERS A ROUTINE APPOINTMENT SYSTEM AND NON-URGENT MEDICAL APPOINTMENTS SHOULD BE ACCESSED VIA THIS. APPOINTMENTS CAN BE BOOKED AT THE DESK, BY PHONE, AND VIA THE INTERNET.
9. WE WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE MAJORITY OF OUR PATIENTS FOR USING THIS SERVICE APPROPRIATELY HOWEVER PATIENTS ATTENDING WITH LONG STANDING MEDICAL PROBLEMS WILL BE ASKED TO MAKE A ROUTINE APPOINTMENT AT THE DESK.
10. THE MINORITY OF PATIENTS MISUSING THIS FACILITY ARE CAUSING DELAYS IN TREATMENT TO ACUTELY ILL PATIENTS INCLUDING SICK CHILDREN, AND WE AS PARTNERS SHARE YOUR CONCERNS THAT THIS SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO CONTINUE.
