APPOINTMENTS

Change to routine appointments - Monday 1st July 2024

 At Meeks Road we are always taking patient feedback on board and assessing how we can make your experience with the surgery easier.

We understand the appointment booking system can be difficult to navigate for a number of reasons. This also has an impact on our administrative team.

Our lines are currently at their busiest at 8am due to on the day emergencies, house call requests and routine appointments. To help alleviate this, going forward we will be releasing routine appointments each day at 11am.

Moving our routine appointments being released to 11am would allow the bulk of our incoming calls to be spread across a morning, making reaching the practice easier.

Our GP’s kindly ask that you contact the surgery before 10am for on the day emergencies and house call requests. Any routine enquiries for example sick line request, prescription queries should be from 10am.

The practice will continue to monitor the appointment booking system and as always, we thank you for your patience and understanding.

ROUTINE APPOINTMENTS

The admin team will ask a little about your symptoms so they can direct you to the person who is most suitable to help you. Please be aware this may not always be a GP.  Due to increasing demand and lack of staff we must prioritise medical need over patient want/preference. 

You may be advised to attend external services such as the local pharmacy or advised to see our Practice Nurse, Advanced Nurse Practitioner, Advanced Physiotherapist or Mental Health Nurse. 

TRIAGE APPOINTMENTS (ON THE DAY) BETWEEN 8AM-10AM

If you require an urgent, on the day, appointment please telephone the practice before 10am where possible.  If you telephone after 10am and our on the day list is full, you will be asked to call back the following day at 8am unless your issue is a genuine medical emergency.

Please note we will still deal with medically urgent issues between 1pm and 6pm.

The admin team will take some information and add you to what we call a triage list.  You will receive a telephone consultation from a member of our clinical team in the first instance and they will arrange to see you face to face if appropriate.

On average, we have around 90 people per day on our urgent list.  This figure does not include pre-booked surgeries, routine appointment requests, or home visits. Please be mindful of this if you are waiting on a call back from our clinical team.  

If you telephone before 10am and have not had a call back by 2pm, please telephone the surgery.

Cancellations

If you cannot attend an appointment for any reason please inform us as soon as possible in order for us to offer the slot to someone else.  

CHAPERONE POLICY

You may request a suitably trained chaperone for any procedure, test or examination.

Friends and family are not permitted to act as chaperones.

Please note - both male and female clinical team members work within the practice, if you have a preference, please ensure you discuss this when you book your appointment.

For more information, please speak to reception.

PHARMACY FIRST SERVICE

Your local pharmacy is now available to treat a number of common conditions. This includes, but is not limited to;

·        Acne

·        Athletes foot

·        Back pain

·        Bacterial conjunctivitis

·        Blocked/runny nose

·        Constipation

·        Cold sores

·        Cough

·        Cystitis

·        Diarrhoea

·        Earache

·        Haemorrhoids (piles)

·        Hay fever

·        Headlice

·        Impetigo

·        Nappy rash

·        Period pain

·        Ringworm

·        Scabies

·        Sore throat

·        Skin infections

·        Thread worms

·        Thrush (vaginal/oral)

·        Warts/verrucae

Please see the following link for further information on the services available:

NHS Pharmacy First Scotland | NHS inform

HOME VISITS

Home visit requests should be made between 8am-10am.

Home visit requests after 10am will be for medical emergencies only. 

Please note that home visits are for patients who are genuinely housebound. 

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.

Please note sick lines cannot be dated in advance.

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 SSP (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.  The note also allows the Doctor to provide guidance about whether you are suitable for some duties or phased return to work.

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