Appointments
Health care at Spa Medical Centre is provided by a team of professionals who work closely together in order to offer you an efficient and personal service. Each of us has particular areas of expertise, which makes it important that we know a little about the help you require when you make your appointment. We organise our appointments into two types:
- Same day - for urgent problems
- Routine - for new problems, follow-up appointments and less pressing issues
We allocate 10 minutes for all appointments, which rarely gives sufficient time to discuss more than one problem. If you think you are likely to need a longer appointment, please advise our Reception Staff at the time of booking so that your consultation time can be adjusted accordingly. Patients may see any doctor, but continuity of care is encouraged. Appointments may be made by phoning 01225 709311 or by calling in at the Medical Centre. Every month a substantial number of patients fail to keep their appointment with the doctor and an equal number fail to turn up to the see the nurse or attend a clinic. Because of this, we are unable to offer routine appointments as quickly as we would like, and leaves you, the patient, waiting longer to see their GP than they need to.
If you are unable to keep your appointment, please inform us as quickly as possible as this will assist in oversubscribed situations. Please telephone 01225 709311 to make or cancel an appointment, or visit the surgery to do so. HELP US TO HELP YOU!
You are entitled to ask or arrange for a chaperone to be present during intimate examinations. This is normally carried out by one of our Nursing staff. Please ask in advance if you wish the practice to provide a chaperone.
Telephone Advice
If appropriate, you may obtain advice by telephone from the Triage Nurse or Duty Doctor. Other doctors may be able to take or make calls after morning surgery. Should this be the case, you will be given a specific time when the doctor will be able to telephone you on a given number at a pre – arranged time. However, the doctors are unable to leave messages if they do not get a reply from the number you have given, because of patient confidentiality. You will be asked your name, date of birth and address as a means of identity.
Duty Doctor - Same day appointments
Our duty doctor is happy to see patients with urgent problems that require immediate attention. You will be asked some brief questions about the nature of your problem and, although you are not obliged to tell us, it helps us decide whether you need to see a GP, Nurse or other health care professional. The receptionist can help you decide which healthcare professional is most appropriate for your needs, or whether pharmacy or other agencies can offer you the help and support required. Any information given to staff is treated in the strictest confidence as they are bound by the same rules of confidentiality as the Doctors and Nurses. A morning and afternoon surgery is available for patients who have problems that have arisen suddenly and consider the need too pressing to wait for a routine appointment. Emergency appointments are allocated in chronological order, and where the duty doctor may be called out on an emergency visit patients may have to wait more than usual to see the doctor. Our reception staff will advise you of this should the situation arise.
Policy for the removal of a patient from the Practice List
From time to time the practice may decide to remove a patient from the practice lists. There are various reasons for this action, which would not be taken lightly, and would follow discussions within the practice involving the patient if thought appropriate. Reasons for removal – this list is not exhaustive:
- Aggressive or abusive behaviour to Primary Health Care Staff or clinicians
- The breakdown of the Patient – Doctor relationship
- Inappropriate and unacceptable demands on the services and practice personnel
- Misuse of drugs prescribed by the practice
The decision to remove a patient from the practice lists would be taken by one or more of the practice Partners. The Practice Manager would be instructed to write to the patient explaining the reasons for their removal from the list, and informing the patient they will need to find another doctor, giving them the contact details of the Wiltshire NHS Registration Department should they have difficulty registering elsewhere. The Practice Manager would inform the Wiltshire NHS Registration Department of the Medical Centre’s decision. The decision to remove a patient from the practice lists is final and no discussion would follow.
