HOW
DO I...
OBTAIN
TELEPHONE ADVICE?
If
you would like to discuss a matter over the telephone with one of the doctors
please telephone between 12 noon and 12.30pm. The doctors will be able to answer
any medical queries at this time. Please do not ask to be put through during surgery
times unless it is an emergency as this interruption is disruptive and may be
upsetting to the patient who is presently consulting. If you are having trouble
speaking to your doctor please leave your name and number and a brief description
of your problem with the receptionist and the doctor will call you back at a convenient
time. Please remember that many enquiries eg results, appointments, letters, prescription enquiries can be dealt with by a nurse or an administrative
member of staff.
HOW
DO I...
MAKE
AN APPOINTMENT?
Consultations are by appointment only. Appointments can be made either
by telephoning 020 7795 8470 or by calling into the surgery. Urgent medical problems
which you feel cannot wait until the next routine appointment will always be dealt
with on the same day. Please ring after 8.00am. If you wish to see a specific
doctor please allow longer for non-urgent conditions. Our aim is to offer appointments
for non-urgent conditions within three working days of the request. Please
inform us as soon as possible if you are unable to attend your appointment
as someone else may need it. Please note that due to the constraints of the National
Health Service we are only able to offer appointments lasting 10 minutes. Inevitably
this means we need to focus on a single problem area. We really do make every
effort to run on time and therefore if you are more than 10 minutes late, you
may be asked to re-book your appointment (in order to avoid delaying the patients
who arrived on time) or wait until a free slot is available. This may not be until
the end of surgery. Thank you for your co-operation.
HOW
DO I...
OBTAIN
A HOME VISIT?
If for strictly medical
reasons you are unable to attend the surgery please call before 10.00am if possible.
The doctor will call you back to discuss your request. Remember that it will often
be quicker for you to come along to the surgery.
HOW
DO I...
OBTAIN
TEST RESULTS?
Please telephone the practice between 2.00 and 3.00pm Monday to Friday
to obtain the results of your investigations. You should telephone
one week after the test has been carried out. The doctor will usually advise the
receptionist of your results, allowing information to be passed on to you over
the telephone. Sometimes the doctor may want to discuss the result with you and
you may be asked to make an appointment. The reason for this is that some laboratory
results are complicated to translate and are, therefore, better explained by your
doctor. Specimens may be left with the reception desk before 3.00pm Monday to
Friday. Please ensure
that the specimen containers are properly labelled as investigations are not carried
out on un-labelled specimens.
HOW
DO I...
OBTAIN
A REPEAT PRESCRIPTION?
You may order a repeat prescription by one of the following methods:
1. Tick the items you require on the detachable counterfoil from your last prescription or put the request in writing including your name and date of birth
2. By fax to 020 7795 8480
3. By e-mail to abingdonmedical@nhs.net
The prescription will be ready for collection with 2 working days. If you would like it posted back please enclose an SAE allowing for possible postal delay.
We do not accept repeat prescription requests over the telephone in the interest of your safety.
HOW
DO I...
REGISTER
WITH THE PRACTICE?
To register at the practice you need to live within the practice catchment area as outlined in the practice area map. If you have moved into the area from another GP you need to provide your medical card or all details of your previous GP plus your NHS number. This helps the Primary Care Trust arrange for the transfer of your medical records from your previous practice.
We would like you to complete a short health questionnaire, and we also request that you see a member of the practice for a health check.
