Byhowbeck
How do I update my personal information?
If you have a new address or phone number then please contact our reception team who will be able to update your details on our system.
Byhowbeck
Are you open on Bank Holidays?
No, we are closed on Bank Holidays. However, if you need medical advice or attention during this time you can:
Visit your pharmacy – Your local pharmacy can provide confidential, expert advice and treatment for a range of common illnesses and complaint. Visit NHS Choices to find a pharmacy open near you.
Call NHS 111 – If you need urgent medical advice but your condition is not life threatening. NHS 111 Is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Calls are free from landlines and mobiles.
A&E or 999 – for a genuine medical emergency including; loss of consciousness, acute confused state and fits that are not stopping, persistent and/or severe chest pain, breathing difficulties, severe bleeding that cannot be stopped.
Byhowbeck
Do you close at lunchtimes?
Our telephones lines remain open all day from 8.00am to 6.00pm. Currently our doors are closed and strictly for appointment only. We ask that all enquires or requests come to us via telephone or using the online services.
Byhowbeck
What is CQC?
The CQC (Care Quality Commission) is the organisation making sure health and social care services provide people with safe, effective, compassionate, high-quality care and encourage care services to improve.
Before a care provider can carry out any of the activities that regulated by the CQC, they must register and satisfy them that they will be able to meet a number of legal requirements. Activities regulated includes the treatment, care and support provided by hospitals, GP practices, dental practices, ambulance services, care homes and home-care agencies.
For more information about the CQC, you can visit their website.
Byhowbeck
Why does the receptionist need to ask what’s wrong with me?
The reception staff are members of the practice team and it has been agreed they should ask patients ‘why they need to be seen’. Reception staff are trained to ask certain questions in order to ensure that you receive the most appropriate medical care from the most appropriate health professional at the most appropriate time.
The receptionists are asked to collect brief information from patients to help:
– doctors prioritise house visits and phone calls
– ensure patients receive the appropriate level of care
– direct patients to see the nurse or other health professionals rather than a doctor where appropriate.
Reception staff, like all members of the team, are bound by confidentiality rules:
– Any information given by you is treated strictly confidentially.
– The practice would take any breach of confidentiality very seriously and deal with it accordingly.
– You can ask to speak to the receptionist in private, away from the reception desk.
– However, if you feel your issue is very private and do not wish to say what this is, then this will be respected.
Byhowbeck
What are the NHS Prescription Charges?
These charges apply in England only. In Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales prescriptions are free of charge.
- Prescription (per item): £8.60
- 12-month prepayment certificate (PPC): £104.00
- 3-month PPC: £29.10
If you will have to pay for four or more prescription items in three months, or more than 15 items in 12 months, you may find it cheaper to buy a PPC.
- Telephone advice and order line 0845 850 0030
- General Public – Buy or Renew a PPC On-line
There is further information about prescription exemptions and fees on the NHS website.
Byhowbeck
How do I get my test results?
Please ring either between 12.30 – 14.30 or 17.00 – 18.00 for test results.
Your results cannot be given to another person due to confidentiality reasons, unless you have already requested this and it is recorded in your medical notes.
Please allow 4 working days for the results to return, with specialised tests taking longer. X-ray and scan results are usually received by the practice 10 days after the test was performed. It is your responsibility to telephone for results, as we process large numbers of tests each day and are unable to telephone individual results. However if we receive an urgent abnormal result we will try to contact you so make sure we have a up to date contact number. We offer SMS messaging of results – speak to your doctor/nurse about this. We can also turn on result viewing on the online records system on a person by person basis – this is particularly helpful for patients who are under different hospitals or who have chronic diseases. Speak to reception about this.
Byhowbeck
What do I do if I think I have an STD?
If you suspect you have an STD (Sexually Transmitted Disease) or if you have had it confirmed by your GP, you can call 0300 323 1300 to make an appointment at a local clinic.
The clinics and their opening times can be found here.
Byhowbeck
How do I obtain a sickness certificate?
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).
Byhowbeck
How do I arrange a home visit?
Many people believe they have a right to a home visit. This is not the case.
Home visits are very inefficient – often three or more patients could be seen in the same time at the surgery. In addition the surgery has high tech equipment, access to help and diagnostic tests and even drugs that can’t be taken out to patients’ homes which means often a patient can be assessed and treated better at the surgery. We generally do not see children at home for this reason.
Please also note that general practice is not an emergency service – we aren’t commissioned to be first responders. In many cases a call to 111, 999 or attendance at A&E is more appropriate. These include: acute chest pain, collapse, acute confusion, and suspected minor injuries.
In a lot of cases a GP might not be the most appropriate person. Often a district nurse, or other allied health professional would be better being the point of contact. They can be contacted direct.
If you are unwell and are genuinely housebound, you can ring and request a visit. Expect this request to be triaged by the reception team who might divert you to a more appropriate service. Being unable to drive is not a reason to request a home visit – there are friends, neighbours and public transport. Similarly the surgery is designed to cope with unwell patients who might be vomiting, or feeling feverish and are potentially infectious – we can often fit people in straight away – meaning you will be seen much faster than waiting for a visit and you will be directed to a side room on arrival where you can be assessed.
Examples of valid requests for home visits are patients in the last stages of life needing palliative care (although these will be pre-planned visits), those in too much pain to move, or the very elderly frail person where moving them might make them worse. To request a visit telephone 01270 275050 before 10.00am Monday to Friday, as this assists in the planning of doctor visits in the early afternoon. For some conditions a visit on another day by a doctor that knows you might be more appropriate than a same day visit.
As stated, you will be asked the details and reason for the visit by the reception team who are trained to handle this and are subject to the confidentiality policy of the practice. Always ensure there is a contact telephone number because the doctor may need to speak with you prior agreeing to visit – always make sure you make sure we have the right address and note that we do not visit patients outside of our practice boundary.
Patients recently discharged from hospital, and who need nursing follow up, will routinely be seen by the district nursing team. Patients in a nursing or care home should liaise with the staff as there are separate arrangements for them.
Visits take place after morning surgery usually between 11:30 and 15:00 and we cannot guarantee a time or any particular doctor though as a practice we try to encourage continuity of care, i.e. sending a doctor that knows you where possible.
Any abuse of this system will not be tolerated – requesting a home visit at a certain time to fit around going out to the hairdresser has been known and is not accepted.