Appointments

You can make an appointment to see your doctor, nurse prescriber or practice nurse by telephoning 01295 256261. This line is busiest before 11.00am. If possible please phone later, especially if you are requesting a routine appointment.

We are happy for you to see any of our doctors, however it is often better to stay with one doctor for continuity of care, especially during one episode of illness.

There is always a doctor available, but of course your "usual" doctor may be away on holiday or on a day. Please see the Opening Times tab for which doctors work when.

We offer the following types of appointments:

• Monday Walk in Clinic - this operates between 08:30 and 10:30am. You can come to the surgery with no need to book,check in with a Receptionist and sit and wait until a GP or Nurse Prescriber becomes available to see you.
• Urgent - If you feel that your problem warrants urgent treatment we offer a telephone call with the Duty Doctor. He/she will call you, discuss your condition, and ask you to come to the surgery where it is appropriate to do so.
• On the Day Appointments - We hold a number of appointments that are bookable on the day. These are in strong demand so patients are advised to phone early in the morning. Please note there are no "On the Day Appointments" on a Monday as these are provided via our Walk In Clinic.
• Routine - You can choose to consult the doctor of your choice by appointment at the morning or afternoon surgery. Routine appointments will be offered at the first available time. Please allow at least a 3 week wait when booking a routine appointment.

 West Bar Surgery Appointment Guide

Language Line

This facility is available for all our overseas patients who need the assistance of a translator. When booking your appointment please request a double appointment with your doctor and advise us that you would like the assistance of a translator.

Cancellations

If you cannot attend an appointment for any reason PLEASE INFORM US AS SOON AS POSSIBLE in order for us to give the slot to someone else. Even a last minute cancellation can sometimes be used. If you do not cancel and you do not turn up we reserve the right to use our DNA policy.

You can text us on 07501329572 stating your surname and date of birth to cancel your next appointment. Please note this number is for texts only. Calls are not answered.
 

Practice Nurses

Maggie Davis and Sandra Neal are NURSE PRESCRIBERS and can deal with many conditions which patients may previously have felt necessary to be seen by a doctor.
The list of conditions they have been trained to deal with includes, upper respiratory tract infections, sore throat, earache, cough, flu, sinusitis, hay fever, nosebleeds, acute asthma, headache, neck pain and back ache, head injury and dizziness. Conjunctivitis, rashes, eczema, nappy rash, warts, infected in growing toe nails, head lice, moles, bites and stings. Abdominal problems which includes diarrhoea and sickness, cystitis, abdominal pain, indigestion, balanitis, rectal bleeding and threadworms. Gynaecological problems which includes vaginal discharge, painful periods, emergency contraception and missed pills.

You will be able to make appointments to see Maggie or Sandra who will be working alongside the duty doctor.

West Bar Surgery Nursing Team Guide

Home Visits

IF YOU NEED A HOME VISIT PLEASE CALL BEFORE 10.30 a.m.

Whilst we encourage our patients to come to the surgery, where we have the proper equipment and facilities available, we do appreciate this is not always possible. In this respect, if you do need a home visit, you can help us by calling reception BEFORE 10.30 A.M.

You may only request a home visit if you are housebound or are too ill to visit the practice on that day.

You may get a phone call from your G.P. after you request a visit. Your GP will only visit you at home if they think that your medical condition requires it and will also decide how urgently a visit is needed. Please bear this in mind and be prepared to provide suitable details to enable the doctor to schedule house calls

You can also be visited at home by a community nurse if you are referred by your GP. You should also be visited at home by a health visitor if you have recently had a baby or if you are newly registered with a GP and have a child under five years.

Sickness Certificates

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 SAP (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. Please note you should allow 5 working days for your fit note to be ready for collection.

For more information see the DirectGov website (where this information was sourced)

Training Practice

West Bar Surgery has participated in training doctors for general practice since 1971.

Qualified doctors who have already completed at least three years of hospital training join us for one year's experience to complete their training and you may be offered an appointment with them. In our role as a training practice we are regularly inspected to ensure a high quality of care and efficient administration.

We also have medical students attached to the practice. You will always be asked beforehand if a medical student may be present at a consultation. Some of our nurses and health visitors are also qualified to train others and may have students attending their clinics from time to time.

Research

There may be research projects within the practice from time to time. If you are involved you will always be fully informed.
 

Cancellations

If you cannot attend an appointment for any reason PLEASE INFORM US AS SOON AS POSSIBLE in order for us to give the slot to someone else.

ON THE DAY - please telephone 01295 256 261 or you can text us on 07501329572 stating your surname and date of birth to cancel your next appointment. Please note this number is for texts only. Calls are not answered.

MORE THAN 24 HRS - email, telephone us or you can text us on 07501329572 stating your surname and date of birth to cancel your next appointment. Please note this number is for texts only. Calls are not answered.

Even a last minute cancellation can sometimes be used. If you do not cancel and you do not turn up we reserve the right to use our DNA policy.

The DNA policy applies to patients who have missed three appointments. We have a huge number of appointments wasted by patients not coming, sometimes even when they booked on the day! If you regularly miss appointments we reserve the right to remove you from our list as this is not fair on the vast majority of our patients who turn up at the right time.

It may be frustrating when your Doctor runs late but this is due to the time they are giving another patient. One day this may be you,. We do try to run on time so be please be patient. If you arrive late however we reserve the right not to see you. The receptionist will ask your G.P. if they are prepared to see you when you do arrive.
If you know you may be a few minutes late it is best to ring ahead. Most doctors will still see you if their workload permits it.