Accessing GP Services

Patients requiring GP services should contact the surgery by telephoning 01773 304700.

The receptionist will ask you to provide a few basic details regarding the nature of the call.

We are fully open and have been throughout the pandemic seeing patients face to face.

However, we still ask that all initial contact with a clinician is via a phone call. For urgent problems a clinician will call you back the same day. For non-urgent issues a routine appointment will be made.

The GP will ask you some questions and determine the best way to help you. This may be a face-to-face appointment with a GP, Advanced Clinical Practitioner, a Practice Pharmacist or Physiotherapist, a Nurse or another clinician. It could also be providing advice over the phone, issuing a prescription, or making a referral to another service for tests and/or investigations.

Once an appointment is made, Patients should have their telephone close by so as to avoid missing a call. The caller ID will be from a private/unknown caller. We will try to call you twice.

Please note if you have full online access, this will show you a specific time slot, please ignore this as it is for booking purposes only. The GP may call at any time and up to 2 telephone attempts will be made. Patients should have their telephone close by so as to avoid missing the call. The caller ID will be from a private/unknown caller.

Chaperone Requests

If you would like a chaperone for your appointment please ask the receptionist when you book in preferably, or on arrival for your appointment.

Cancelling Appointments

Please cancel any unwanted appointments.

If you are unable to keep your planned nurse appointment or blood test please let us know as soon as possible so we can offer the appointment to another patient. This can be done very quickly and easily by texting the word CANCEL to the number given on your text appointment confirmation. If you have an online login you can can cancel pre-booked doctors appointments there. 

Patient Online Access - Keeping your Online Records Secure

Having access to your records online is a great way to get involved in looking after your health. Your records contain personal information, so it is important to keep them safe. You should take the same care with your health and social care records as you do if you use online banking.

Here are some tips on how to keep your records safe:

• If your record provider created a password for you as part of your log-in details, you should change it as soon as possible.
• Use a strong and memorable password that is at least 8 characters long.
• Do not write your password down or share it.
• Do not use words in your password which may be easy for others to guess, such as the names of your relatives or pets.
• Always log out of your records when you have finished using them.
• It is best to view your records when you are somewhere private, and on your own computer or mobile device.
• If you print information from your records make sure it is stored securely.

  Further information and advice about keeping your online health and social care record safe and secure is available here.  

Evening and Weekend Appointments

You can now book routine GP and Nurse appointments in the evening, at weekends and over bank holidays in your local area.

Pre-bookable appointments are available Monday-Friday, 6.30pm-8pm, plus weekends and bank holidays and you can be seen by a GP, Nurse or Healthcare Assistant.

To book your appointment, contact the surgery during normal opening hours. Please be aware that the appointment may take place at another GP Practice in the area.

If you need urgent medical advice when the surgery is closed, you should continue to call NHS 111.

Home Visits

Home Visits are reserved for those who are terminally ill or are completely house bound.

If you think you need a home visit you should call the practice and request an urgent call back from a GP before 10am. They will then do an initial assessment over the phone.

Home visits take a long time and limit the number of patients we can see, so we cannot provide home visits just for travel or transport difficulties. 

Eastwood Volunteer Bureau provide a Community Transport Scheme that can be used for travel to the Doctors. 

Often home visits are not as satisfactory as visits to the surgery given that the doctors do not have your full records available and only limited clinical equipment.

If transport is an issue there is usually somebody (a friend, a neighbour, a relative) who can give you a lift down in a car. 

For those patients who struggle with their mobility we are happy for them to exit the car or taxi right at the main entrance although we ask people not to park there or block access to the site for others.

Remember that we can see many people at the surgery in the time it takes to do one home visit. Please value your surgery and consider other patients.

1 HOME VISIT - 6 FACE TO FACE APPOINTMENTS.

1 Home visit = 6 face to face appointments

Accelerated Patient Access to GP Data

The NHS wants to give people better ways to see their personal health information online. We know that people want to be able to access their health records. It can help you see test results faster. It also lets you read and review notes from your appointments in your own time.

We’re now letting you see all the information within your health record automatically. If you are over 16 and have an online account, such as through the NHS App, NHS website, or another online primary care service, you will now be able to see all future notes and health records from your doctor (GP). Some people can already access this feature, this won’t change for you.

This means that you will be able to see notes from your appointments, as well as test results and any letters that are saved on your records. This only applies to records from your doctor (GP), not from hospitals or other specialists. You will only be able to see information from 1^st November. For most people, access will be automatic, and you won’t need to do anything.

Your doctor (GP) may talk to you to discuss test results before you are able to see some of your information on the app. Your doctor (GP) may also talk to you before your full records access is given to make sure that having access is of benefit to you. There might be some sensitive information on your record, so you should talk to your doctor if you have any concerns.

These changes only apply to people with online accounts. If you do not want an online account, you can still access your health records by requesting this information through reception. The changes also only apply to personal information about you. If you are a carer and would like to see information about someone you care for, speak to reception staff.

The NHS App, website and other online services are all very secure, so no one is able to access your information except you. You’ll need to make sure you protect your login details. Don’t share your password with anyone as they will then have access to your personal information.

If you do not want to see your health record, or if you would like more information about these changes, please speak to your GP or reception staff.

What is the NHS App?

The NHS App is changing the way in which patients throughout the UK can take control of their health and care. Open to anyone over the age of 13 with an NHS account, the App has a range of features that benefit users, saving them time and uncecessary visits to healthcare settings, all through a single application.

Features and benefits include*:

• Access to health and care records
• Ordering repeat prescriptions
• Securely messaging healthcare professionasl
• Monitoring and tracking symptoms
• Access to 111 Online health information
• Managing appointments
• Online consultations
• Giving family and friends proxy access to your records where needed

(*Some features may not be used by all practices - check with your doctors if some functionality is not turned on)

Further to this, for users in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire, additional functionality is included within the NHS App throughout a third-party service called Patients Know Best (PKB). You can register for PKB within the app, and this gives you additional access to health and care records, results from tests and consultations, and the ability to receive appointment letters through the app rather than in the post.

All of your information is secure and confidential through the NHS App and Patients Know Best.

How to register for the NHS App

• Download the NHS App
• Set up your NHS login
• Prove who you are - you only need to do this once to register
• Provide your postcode - it must be the one registered with your GP
• Your information will then be checked, and a confirmation email received in 2-3 hours.

More detailed information on this process can be found at https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-app/

How to register with Patients Know Best (PKB)

• In the NHS App, go to "View your messages" or tap the messages icon on the toolbar
• Open "Consultations, events and messages" and agree to the statement
• Enter your email address and create a strong password
• Set up your security question and accept the User Agreement and Privacy Policy
• Confirm by hitting the "Register" button - you will now be able to access your PKB health record and services - seamlessly integrated to enable you to take control of your healthcare.

Patient Guide: Getting started with GP online services

Patient Guide: Giving another person access to your GP online services

Patient Guide: Giving employed carers access to your GP online services

Patient Guide: GP online services for carers including young carers

Patient Guide: Protecting your GP online records

Patient Guide: What you need to know about your GP online records

Patient Guide: Young people's access to GP online services

Patient Guide: Your GP record

Easy Read: Get the NHS App 

Easy Read Patient Guide: What you need to know about your GP online records

Easy Read Patient Guide: Protecting your GP online records

Easy Read Patient Guide: GP online services for carers

Easy Read Patient Guide: Giving employed carers access to your GP online services

Easy Read Patient Guide: Giving another person access to your GP online services

Self-certification Form

The NHS website provides information on When you need a fit note.

You do not require a doctor's sickness certificate for any illness lasting 7 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.

A sick note request can be made via the NHS App saving you time, rather than calling into the practice or telephoning.

Evidence that you are sick

If you are sick for more than 7 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, eg 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)

Flu and Covid Vaccinations

We have a Flu and Covid Vaccination hotline (01773 304770) to arrange your vaccination appointment and for any queries on these. 

We ask patients to leave their name, date of birth and contact number and we will telephone back within 2 working days.

The current advice is to leave 91 days between Covid vaccinations.

The Covid booster is for all those eligible (over 50 years of age, patients on at risk registers, unpaid carers, pregnant patients, health and social care workers.

Patients can have both vaccinations or either one.

We are gradually working through our lists, inviting patients via a link (if patients have not dissented to receiving texts)

Flu

Information on the flu vaccine can be found on the NHS website along with information on flu.