The St Nicholas Health Centre

HOW DO I...
MAKE AN APPOINTMENT ?

Book-on-the-day Appointments

If you have a need to see a doctor and cannot wait for a book in advance appointment, please telephone the surgery at 8.00am on the day you require to be seen and the receptionist will arrange a book on the day appointment for you. Please note that we will not always be able to offer you the time or doctor of your choice and that these appointments are usually available during morning surgeries only.

Book-in-advance Appointments

You can make an appointment either by calling at the surgery or telephoning (01438) 747064. Although you will see on your medical card that you have a named doctor in the practice, you are free to make an appointment with any of the doctors. On booking you may be asked a few details to help the doctor or nurse deal with the problem efficiently. Please do not be offended by this, as all details are kept in strictest confidence and reception staff are trained accordingly.

We will try to see patients at their appointed time but some patients' problems will take longer than the allocated time; so please be patient if there is some delay.

Please note:

• Appointments are for one person only.
• All patients under 16 should be accompanied by an adult.
• Emergency appointments should not be used for social convenience or non-urgent problems.
• Please arrive on time for your appointment; late arrival may require a new appointment being booked at a later date.
• Non attendance for appointments is a persistent problem and increases the wait to see the doctor. if you no longer require your appointment please cancel in good time as this will allow someone else to see a doctor that day.
• Dr Delany is not available for any consultations regarding family planning.

HOW DO I...
OBTAIN REPEAT PRESCRIPTIONS?

Repeat prescriptions will be issued at the doctors' discretion. Requests for prescriptions are accepted in writing only, Monday to Friday. Please allow two full working days for your prescription to be processed, checked and signed. Please do not include weekends and bank holidays in the two days as no prescriptions are processed during these times.

PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU REQUEST REPEAT PRESCRIPTIONS IN PLENTY OF TIME AS WE CANNOT PROCESS REPEATS AS EMERGENCIES.

Computerised repeat prescriptions incorporate a tear-off order form and are an accurate and convenient way of ordering your prescriptions. We regret that telephone requests for repeat prescriptions are not accepted. If you wish your prescription returned by post to you please enclose a stamped addressed envelope. Some chemists will collect your prescription from the surgery and deliver to your home.

HOW DO I...
OBTAIN A HOME VISIT ?

Your co-operation in attending the surgery if at all possible is greatly appreciated. A doctor can see three or four patients in the surgery in the time taken to visit one patient at home.

Home visits are reserved for those who are too ill or physically unable to attend. We receive a large number of requests for home visits each day. It is important that we know the reason for the request so that the doctor can prioritise his visit schedule. The reception staff will ask the reason for your home visit request; please give as much information as possible.

We aim to visit on the day of request for non-urgent conditions. however, if you consider the condition requires very urgent attention we aim to have a duty doctor always available to respond to such requests.

It is helpful if requests for home visits are made before 10.30am and full details of the patient's name, age, address, telephone number and reason for the visit are given.

HOW DO I...
OBTAIN TEST RESULTS ?

Results of blood tests, x-rays etc are available by telephoning the surgery at 12 noon. Please only telephone at this time as the phones are less busy and staff have more time to attend to your enquiry.

PLEASE NOTE RESULTS CAN ONLY BE GIVEN TO THE ACTUAL PATIENT DUE TO PATIENT CONFIDENTIALITY, therefore the staff will ask questions to try to ascertain the actual patient is the one requesting a result.

PREGNANCY RESULTS ARE ONLY GIVEN IN PERSON, NO TELEPHONE RESULTS WILL BE ISSUED.

Specimens

Specimens required to be sent to the hospital for testing should be brought to the surgery in time for collection by the hospital courier. We have two collections daily (Monday to Friday) at 12 noon and 4.00pm.

HOW DO I...
MAKE A COMMENT/COMPLAINT ?

Comments and Suggestions

We are happy to accept and consider comments and suggestions from our patients. Please present your views in writing to our practice manager, Mrs Susan Shambrook.

Complaints

We aim to offer our patients the highest standard of care. However, unfortunately, there may be occasions when you feel our standards have slipped and you would like to complain. If you have a complaint or concern about the service you have received from the doctors or any of the staff working in the practice, please contact in the first instance our practice manager, Mrs Susan Shambrook. We operate a practice complaints procedure as part of the NHS system for dealing with complaints. Our complaints system meets national criteria.

HOW DO I...
REGISTER WITH THE PRACTICE ?

All patients who register with the practice are invited to attend a new patient health check with our practice nurse. This is an extremely important check up as it can identify many potential problems and introduce you to the practice. Please make an appointment with the practice nurse.

Change of Personal Details

Please notify our reception staff of any change of name, address or telephone number. If you move outside our practice area it will be necessary for you to register with a new doctor.

Temporary Residents

A visitor to your home may be treated as a temporary resident if necessary. The temporary resident will be asked to complete a form giving full details ie name, home address, temporary address, date of birth, NHS number (if known) and home doctor. If the temporary resident intends to stay for more than three months it will be necessary for them to register fully.

PLEASE NOTE PATIENTS WHO HAVE A DOCTOR IN THE STEVENAGE AREA CANNOT BE SEEN AS TEMPORARY PATIENTS AT THIS PRACTICE AND WILL HAVE TO BE SEEN WHERE THEY ARE REGISTERED.