Appointment Length: Our routine appointment system is based upon a fifteen minute consultation. If you feel that you require a longer appointment to discuss more complex issues, please mention this to the receptionist.
Routine Appointments: Please use these for non urgent problems or to follow up a pre-existing condition. In order to provide continuity of care, it is generally best to book with the Doctor you saw originally. These appointments may be booked in advance but you may need to wait a few days to see your preferred Doctor.
Urgent Appointments: If you need to see a GP urgently you can book into the daily Duty Surgery. We may not be able to offer a choice of appointment time or GP. These appointments are designed to cater for one urgent condition and will be slightly shorter than a normal consultation. Please make a routine appointment to discuss non urgent conditions.
2nd Family Member Appointments: Separate appointments must be made for each family member who wishes to be seen. Family members with the “same symptoms” may be accommodated with a shorter concurrent appointment. Please inform reception when booking your appointment if you may need to avail of this service. A reduced 2nd consultation fee is at the discretion of the examining doctor.
NB: Each consultation is unique. GPs train for many years, and take on an enormous level of responsibility every time they examine a patient. In making a diagnosis, they use their entire professional knowledge, experience and judgement to form an expert opinion – it is more than just their “time”. In charging a separate fee, for each individual service provided, we are no different from any other trade or profession.
Missed / Late Appointments: As we run our practice on an appointment only basis, we would greatly appreciate if you could arrive on time for your appointment. If you have made an appointment, then you have a responsibility to attend on time. Please factor in travel time, whether for traffic/bus schedules/parking, and aim to arrive 10 minutes ahead of your appointment time.
Patients who arrive more than 10 minutes late for their appointment may be asked to reschedule their appointment. We would urge you to give us plenty of notice when cancelling an appointment, so that it may be offered to another patient. Patients who repeatedly arrive late/cancel/fail to turn up for their appointment, may be asked to find another doctor, in line with our practice policy.
Telephone Advice: Telephone Advice may include queries about a prescription/medication, a test result, a hospital appointment, a referral, a form that needs to be completed, advice about a minor ailment or follow-up to a previous consultation.
If you only need advice our reception staff will usually be able to assist you. Don’t be offended if they have to ask for a few details regarding your problem or query. This is to help you receive the most appropriate advice as efficiently as possible. Remember most medical queries will require a Doctor or Nurse to see you, so a consultation may be advised.
Practice policy is that the Doctor will not be interrupted for telephone calls during Consultations. If you must speak to a Doctor or Nurse, then please leave a clear concise message, ensuring you give the correct contact phone number. The Doctor or Nurse will call you back and discuss your problem or query at their earliest convenience, if appropriate.
Home Visits / House Calls: Home visits are available on request for patients who are housebound, terminally ill or too seriously ill to come to the surgery. All requests for home visits must be assessed by a doctor.
If you urgently need a visit please try to ring the Clinic before 12am on the day. To help determine urgency you will be asked to describe the patient’s symptoms.
A doctor may phone you back to get more information and ascertain whether the problem can be dealt with on the telephone, on a visit, or if attendance to clinic/hospital might be more appropriate.
Where possible we prefer to review patients in the clinic, where we have access to patient medical files and any necessary medical equipment or medication. At home the doctor will only have limited equipment and it is often difficult to perform a full assessment of your symptoms. It is therefore essential that if it is at all possible that you attend the Clinic to see the doctor.
Please remember that home visits are only appropriate for patients who are housebound because of illness or disability – several patients can be seen in the clinic in the time that it takes to make one home visit.
