FAQs

What if I am late for my appointment?

At every consulting session the Doctor or Nurse sees at least 20 patients. If you are late for your appointment it will impact on other patients. In order for the clinicians to keep on time, you will be asked to rebook your appointment if you arrive more than 10 minutes late for your appointment. However, the Receptionist will always ask the doctor or nurse if they will see you (unless they have already indicated that this is not possible). You may have to wait until the end of the session as it would be unfair to those patients who have arrived on time to be delayed because you were late.

We accept that on occasions the Doctor/Nurse can run late. This is because someone they have seen earlier has needed more time due to the complex nature of their problem. We ask for your understanding in these circumstances.

 Should I see a Doctor, Nurse or Paramedic?

Our Nurses and Paramedics are highly trained and work closely with our doctors. They assess and treat a wide range of conditions, so it is not always necessary to see the doctor with your problem. Our Minor Illness Nurses have been specially trained to treat a range of conditions and are able to prescribe medication if needed.

An example of the ailments that can be treated by the Minor Illness nurse include:

  • Sore Throat, Coughs
  • Headaches
  • High temperatures
  • Sinusitis
  • Skin infections
  • Cuts and bruises
  • Earache and other ear problems
  • Problems with eyes
  • Nose bleeds
  • New rashes/skin problems
  • Cystitis or other urine problems
  • Acute asthma attack
  • Bites and stings
  • Diarrhoea and vomiting (do not come to the surgery – please telephone)
  • Infected toe nails
  • Athletes foot
  • Acute back pain
  • Chest pain
  • Gynaecological problems
  • General health worries

The duty team will not see:

  • Pill checks
  • Contraceptive injections
  • Holiday vaccinations
  • Sick notes
  • Ongoing illness/conditions

Minor Illness Nurses and Paramedics are happy to see anyone, including children who are unwell on the day. They are however, unable to see ongoing illness/conditions.

If in doubt please ask the Receptionist.

Can I see the same doctor?

Yes. You can always ask for an appointment with the doctor of your choice but because of their popularity, study/annual leave or the fact they work part time you may have to wait a bit longer.

Why can’t I have two months prescription at a time?

We used to issue two monthly prescriptions but evidence shows that this results in more wasted medication and can increase prescribing costs by up to 6%. Our drug budget is £1.5 million, so this excess waste could be costing the NHS as much as £90,000. That can buy a lot of extra medical care for those who need it. We appreciate that this will cause our patients some inconvenience, but we believe the benefits to the NHS are worthwhile.

Am I registered with a particular doctor?

No, since the national change in doctors contracts in 2004 doctors no longer have personal lists. Patients are registered with the surgery and not with individual doctors. This means that you can choose from any of the doctors at the practice. You can also see the same doctor, bearing in mind their availability will be affected by their popularity, their full time/part time status and their study/annual leave.

Why does it take five working days to get a repeat prescription?

We handle a huge volume of repeat prescriptions every day. Each patient’s records need to be checked against the request for medication. The prescription needs to be checked and double checked to ensure the right medication and dose is prescribed. Some patients can have 10 or more items on their request. All prescription requests are checked and must be authorised and signed by a doctor.

Getting Test Results

All test results are seen by a doctor. If any action is needed we will contact you by post asking you to book a Telephone Consultation.

If, however we have not contacted you and you would like to know your test results please ring the surgery selecting Option 2. Receptionists are not qualified to discuss your test results with you, but they can tell you the results are back and pass on any comments the doctors have made e.g. ‘no action needed’ or ‘book phone appointment’. They cannot however give you any other information but they will be pleased to book you a phone appointment with a doctor, ideally with the doctor who requested the tests for you to discuss. We are unable to give test results to anyone other than the patient, except by prior arrangement. The results line is open Tuesday – Friday, from 08.00 – 14.00.

You are able to see your results online once they have been viewed by the doctor. If you wish to do this, please request ‘full medical records access’ via online services or the receptionist and we will enable this for you.

I am not able to go upstairs, is there a lift?

Consultations at Leighton Road are all on the ground floor. There are lifts at our Grovebury Road Site.