Woodcote Group Practice

HOW DO I...
OBTAIN A REPEAT PRESCRIPTION?

If you are on regular medication you will be issued with a repeat prescription card. To obtain a repeat prescription either bring or send the card and allow 48 hours for it to be processed by our computerised system. You can either collect it personally or, if you enclose an SAE, we will be pleased to post it to you. Many local chemists operate a collection scheme to help save time. Please ask at reception. You may fax your request on 0844 499 4383 (both surgeries).

Please remember IT IS NOT POSSIBLE TO ACCEPT REQUESTS FOR REPEAT PRESCRIPTIONS OVER THE TELEPHONE.

For long-term prescriptions, it is our policy to issue 28 days’ supply per script. We are willing, on request to issue two of these at the same time (ie two months).

Private Prescription Policy

If you are seeing a consultant privately then they may issue you with a private prescription. It will be necessary for you to take this to a pharmacy where you will be charged the full cost of the medication. The practice will not accept the responsibility for issuing an NHS prescription in place of this initial private prescription.

However, the practice may supply subsequent prescriptions under the NHS if the following criteria have been satisfied:

* That we have received documentation from the consultant giving a diagnosis and full details of the prescribed medication.

* That the medication prescribed is not outside our locally agreed formulary.

HOW DO I...
OBTAIN TELEPHONE ADVICE?

If you wish to talk to a doctor there is a telephone advice slot each morning at both surgeries. It generally runs from midday to 1pm each day you can also leave a message for any doctor. The doctors are very happy to speak to you on the phone if it is not interrupting a consultation. This may save you time by avoiding an unnecessary consultation or visit. Please phone on 0844 499 4388.

HOW DO I...
MAKE AN APPOINTMENT?

We run a full appointments system.

These are our core opening times. We also provide additional appointments early in the morning (7am start) on 3 days of the week and late evening appointments (last appointment 7.40pm) on 2 evenings each week. These clinics may be held on different days depending on GP availability.

When we are closed, the phones are switched to CROYDOC (see Out of Hours)

Appointment times are 10 minutes. The doctors can only deal with a maximum of two problems per appointment. Minor operations and medicals take longer (perhaps up to 30 minutes). Be sure to tell our receptionist if this is what you want to book.

Patients have a responsibility to keep appointments or to inform the surgery to cancel with as much notice as possible so appointments can be re-allocated.

Standard Appointments

If you want to see a SPECIFIC doctor we will try to give you an appointment, generally within seven days. The practice will endeavour to comply with your request but it might not always be possible and if that were to be the case, an explanation would be offered. If the problem is more pressing but not urgent then we will try to give you an appointment, generally within two working days, with the next available doctor.

For urgent appointments please phone before 10.00am, and you will be given a time to come to our urgent treatment surgery where you may have a wait, depending on the numbers attending that day.
FOR URGENT CASES WE WILL ALWAYS SEE YOU ON THE SAME DAY but it is not possible to guarantee which doctor you will see.

Emergencies

IF YOU ARE CONFRONTED BY A SERIOUS PROBLEM SUCH AS SEVERE CHEST PAIN, SEVERE BLEEDING, COLLAPSE OR UNCONSCIOUSNESS CALL AN AMBULANCE )999), BEFORE CALLING YOUR DOCTOR.

HOW DO I...
OBTAIN A HOME VISIT?

If you are either incapacitated or too ill to come to either surgery, you can request a home visit: you should phone before 10.00am on 0844 499 4388 so that the doctors can plan their rounds for that day. Unless you request otherwise, the doctor will try to visit you the same day, usually before afternoon surgery. If you need a doctor IMMEDIATELY, tell our receptionist and you will be put through to a doctor. Please remember that a more complete and effective consultation can be done in the surgery with the benefits of our modern equipment and help of our nursing staff. SO PLEASE ALWAYS TRY TO ATTEND SURGERY.

HOW DO I...
OBTAIN TEST RESULTS?

If you want to get test results then be sure to wait at least two working days before phoning between 2.30 - 5.00pm weekdays on 0844 499 4388. X-ray results may take two weeks to return to the surgery.

SPECIMENS

Blood and urine samples are collected every morning from both surgeries.

HOW DO I...
CHANGE MY DETAILS?

If you change your name or move house please notify us as soon as you can. We would also appreciate a phone number where we can contact you if necessary; this will ensure that if you ever require urgent treatment the doctor will know where to find you.

HOW DO I...
REGISTER AS A PATIENT?

New patients wishing to register with the practice should ask at reception to complete a registration form. The receptionist will check that their address is within the practice area and if so, will give them the necessary forms to complete. To complete the forms patients need to have their NHS number (whichh can be obtained from your previous GP) proof of Identity and proof of address.