Whitemoor Medical Centre - Newsletter Summer 2010

Welcome to the 10th edition of our newsleter. This will be availabe in the surgery and will be updated regularly in order to inform patients of general and new information.

Phone lines open 8:00 - 6:30 Monday - Friday

Surgery opens

08:00 - 19:30 Monday

07:00 - 18:30 Tuesday & Wednesday

08:00 - 18:30 Thursday & Friday

For test results please ring on 0844 576 9200 after 1pm

SURGERY CLOSURES

The Surgery will be closed due to staff training from 1:00 pm on the following dates:

Wednesday September 15th, Wednesday October 20th, Wednesday 24th November

Should you require medical treatment when the Practice is closed, please dial 0844 576 9200 and you will be transferred to Derbyshire Health United, an organisation commissioned by the PCT to provide out of hours care. Please remember this is an emergency service only.

Other useful numbers are NHS Direct 0845 4647 www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk

SEASONAL FLU VACCINATIONS

The surgery is holding two walk in flu clinics for those patients who are eligible for a seasonal flu vaccination. The clinics are Saturday 2nd October and Saturday 16th october from 08:30 - 12:00

BOOKING APPOINTMENTS

A number of Doctor appointments are available to book 4 weeks in advance, 2 weeks in advance,1 week in advance and 48 hours in advance. There are also a number of nurse appointments available to book 6 weeks in advance, 1 week in advance and 48 hours in advance.

Appointments with the doctors are 10 minute appointments so if you require a longer appointment will you please advise reception when making an appointment. We have an "on call" GP who deals with emergencies and urgent medical problems which cannot wait until the next routine appointment.

ON-LINE BOOKING :

A service is now available for you to book a Doctor appointment on-line. To do this you will need to register your details at the surgery. You will then be issued with a Patient Access ID which enable you to register via the Practice Website. You will then need to call at the surgery after 5 working days to collect your Access ID information. This information is confidential and cannot be given via the telephone. If you forget your access ID password at anytime the surgery can produce a duplicate in writing. Again this must be collected from the surgery. Please note that nurses appointments cannot be booked using this system

PATIENT PARTNER UPDATE :

This telephone service is now available at the surgery to all patients. All you need in order to use this service is a touch telephone, your registered telephone number and your date of birth. To book an appointment using this service please telephone the surgery and select the Option for Automated Booking Service and then follow the simple instructions. Please contact us if you are having any problems with the above systems.

VISIT REQUESTS:

If you require a home visit from a GP please try to contact the surgery before 10am. The visit may not always be made by your regular Doctor in the practice.

ELECTRONIC CHECK IN:

It is our intention that all patients visiting the surgery will check in for their appointment using the Electronic Self Check-In system to ensure that the best possible service is provided to patients. Help will be on hand should you require any assistance in using the system.

COMMUNICATION WITH PATIENTS:

Many of our patients have found the text messaging service offered by the Practice as a useful reminder of their appointment times. However should you wish to amend your appointment please contact the surgery as there is no facility to reply to the service. To enable the practice to keep up to date records, please ensure we have your current mobile telephone number.

PRESCRIPTION REQUESTS:

Please allow 2 working days for prescriptions to be processed if collecting from the surgery. Please allow 3 working days if you require the prescription to be collected or delivered by any of the Belper pharmacies.

Any perscriptions handed in at the surgery either by hand or by nominated chemist after 3:00 p.m. will not be processed until the following working day.

If you require an urgent prescription which is not a repeated item, then you will be asked by our Reception Team that you may need to be seen by a Doctor at the end of his/her surgery. If you require an urgent prescription that is a repeated item, the Doctor will sign the prescription but not until the end of his/her surgery. Please note that if Manor Pharmacy is closed you have the option of taking the prescription to Morrisons (open unitl 8:00) or Ripley (open unil 12:30 am).

SPECIMENS :

You may be asked to bring a specimen into the surgery Please ensure that this arrives no later than 1pm due to the courier service collection we have. If a specimen does arrive later than this time it will not be sent to the laboratory for testing and you will be asked to supply a further sample.

THE TEAM AND ITS CHANGES:

Dr Rachel Sharp leaves the practice on Friday 20th August. The surgery would like to wish her well and thank her for her contribution to the practice. Dr Anna Lim will be increasing her surgery clinics from 10th September.