The Partners. Dr Andrew Auld MBChB (Glasgow 1976) Dr Douglas A Soutter MBChB (Glasgow 1984) DRCOG MRCGP

Transcription

1 The Partners Dr Andrew Auld MBChB (Glasgow 1976) Dr Douglas A Soutter MBChB (Glasgow 1984) DRCOG MRCGP Dr Maureen R Greenfield MBChB (Dundee 1987) DGM MRCGP Dr Andrew Jones MBChB (Liverpool 1988) DRCOG Dr Stuart G Lewis MBChB (Glasgow 1988) DRCOG MRCGP DFM Dr Maeve M Docherty MBChB (Glasgow 1988) DRCOG Dr Rachel A Fraser MBChB (Glasgow 1998) MRCGP DRCOG Dr Colin R Jamieson BSc MBChB (Manchester 1996) DRCOG MRCGP Dr Jennifer Shelley MBChB (Glasgow 2000) MRCGP DRCOG DCH DFFP

2 Welcome to the Practice We are delighted that you have chosen Largs Medical Group for your healthcare needs. Largs Medical Group serves patients living in Largs, Fairlie and Meigle,and is part of Ayrshire & Arran Health Board. We share modern, purpose-built premises with colleagues from the NHS and North Ayrshire Council. The Centre has full access for our disabled patients and fulfils the requirements of current legislation. We offer a full Primary Care service and run specialist clinics for child development checks, pregnant women as well as diabetes and asthma sufferers. We also carry out minor surgery, joint injections and other procedures and tests required for a range of health problems. We have access to translators and interpreters should this be required. This does take some time to organise and it is always easier to bring a family member to translate if that is possible. At Largs Medical Group we aim to treat all our patients promptly, courteously and in complete confidence. We feel it is important you know who you are speaking to, so all of our staff wear a name badge and identify themselves on the telephone. Largs Medical Group is a training practice. This means there may be medical students or hospital doctors finding out more about Primary Care. Hospital doctors who wish to pursue a career in general practice spend at least 18 months in Primary Care in order to gain the experience they need to become general practitioners. They are called GP Specialists in Training (GPST1, 2, 3) and run their own surgeries alongside an experienced general practitioner. If you live in our area and would like to register with us, please complete a registration form which can be obtained from our Reception. You will be registered with the practice as a whole and are free to see the general practitioner of your choice. It may be appropriate for some of your care to be provided by a particular general practitioner with extra knowledge in a specialised area.

3 Appointments Surgeries normally run from 8.30am to 5.30pm, however, for the convenience of those patients who find it difficult to attend during the normal working day, we are open until 7.30pm on Monday evenings and open at 7.30am on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. To book an appointment, please ask at Reception or telephone the practice on Remember the phone lines will be busiest from 8.30am to 10am, but we do try to deal with requests as quickly as possible. Urgent cases are seen on the same day We aim to offer an appointment with the first available doctor within two working days We aim to offer an appointment with your doctor of choice within five working days this can sometimes take longer if the doctor works on a part time basis Patients also have the option to book up to two months in advance if that is more convenient The Practice Nurses, Healthcare Assistant and Phlebotomist are able to treat patients for a wide range of common conditions. They are trained to deal with minor ailments and injuries, leg ulcers, ear syringing, immunisations, spirometry, cardiographs, etc. If you are unsure whether you should see a doctor or nurse then please ask the Receptionist for advice. You can expect to see a nurse within three working days. Let us know if more than one person in the family needs to be seen. We can give you a longer appointment if necessary. Tell us if you want someone to accompany you during an examination or a private room to discuss matters. Remember that the results of tests can only be given to the patient. Sometimes you may only wish some telephone advice and a suitable time to speak to the doctor can be arranged. If you are only available on a mobile phone, you will be expected to ring the practice at the agreed time.

4 You can help by Being on time for your appointment Letting us know if you need to cancel Calling for a home visit or urgent appointment before 10am Ringing for a repeat prescription after 10am Ringing for the results of tests after 2.30pm Your appointment could be with the Doctor, Practice Nurse or another Health Care professional best suited to your needs. If you are in doubt please ask for guidance. You are able to consult with the doctor of your choice and it is usually best to try and see the same doctor to help with continuity of care. In case of emergency we cannot always guarantee this, but we will try our best. It is possible to book ahead to get a time more convenient for you and we always keep several appointments reserved for each day. As you are aware the peak time for our telephone system is first thing in the morning. We would, therefore, ask that you call after 10am if you are calling regarding repeat prescription or results. This helps to make it easier for those trying to book appointments for that day. We appreciate the co-operation of our patients with this request. Home visits Home visits are for patients who are housebound or too ill to come to the practice. Our doctors typically see four patients in the practice in the time it takes to do a single home visit. For this reason, we ask our patients to come to the practice if at all possible. Please remember that facilities for examination and treatment are better at the practice. Requests for home visits may be triaged by one of our nurses or by the Duty Doctor, who will give you advice or arrange for a visit by the appropriate person, ie. Doctor, District Nurse, etc. Please try to call before 10am and if you feel your call is urgent, please say so.

5 Evening and weekends If the situation is obviously very serious, eg. severe chest pain or collapse, you should dial 999 and ask for an ambulance. NHS24 handles all of the out of hours calls in Ayrshire. NHS24 works in conjunction with Ayrshire Doctors on Call to deliver care to patients seeking urgent medical advice when their practice is closed. To use this service, patients can call the practice in the usual way the recorded message will give the telephone number for NHS24 or, You can telephone NHS24 directly on When you call a Receptionist will take some details, then pass your call to a Nurse who will help you with your problem and will offer advice if appropriate. You may be asked to attend the Primary Care Treatment Centre based at Ayrshire Central Hospital in Irvine. If your condition requires a home visit, they will arrange this. Test results Please call or between 2.30pm 4.30pm for the results of blood tests, X-rays, etc. Please allow one week before calling for your result unless the Doctor or Nurse has advised you otherwise. Please do not ask the staff at the reception desk for your results as for reasons of confidentiality they are not authorised to give out this information.

6 Repeat prescriptions We record all requests for medication in your medical record. To do this properly, we require 48 hours notice. For your convenience, requests for repeat medication can be ordered using the re-order slip attached to your prescription by handing it into your preferred pharmacy. Medication will be ready for collection after 48 hours. The local pharmacists will be happy to help you with this. Alternatively, you can hand the re-order slip into the practice and collect it from there. You can also telephone the practice after 10am Monday to Friday, however, our preference would be for you to use the re-order slips. Your local pharmacist Your local pharmacist is able to give you free health advice at any time you don t need an appointment. Many pharmacies operate extended hours on a rota basis. Call NHS24 ( ) or visit their website at for the latest information in North Ayrshire. You can find the telephone number of your local Pharmacist on the back of this leaflet. Clinics We run a range of clinics. For an appointment, or further details, please telephone our Reception Antenatal The Midwives run this clinic. If you are pregnant, you will be given a booking appointment at which the midwife will take more details and carry out some general health checks. She will be able to answer any questions you have as well as provide leaflets and booklets. You will be seen regularly throughout your pregnancy at the practice as well as the hospital of your choice. Our Midwife is also happy to advise you before you are pregnant if you have particular concerns you would like to discuss. The Midwife can be contacted at

7 Child Health and Immunisation All new babies are invited for regular check-ups from 8 weeks old. The Health Visitors are able to provide more information and can be contacted at Minor Surgery We have a dedicated Minor Surgery room. We are able to remove small cysts, skin lesions, in-growing toenails, cryotherapy (freezing) of warts, etc. Some of the GPs have been trained to carry out joint injections. Please discuss this with your Doctor who will then arrange for an appointment if appropriate. Diabetes This Nurse led clinic offers advice and full diabetic check-ups at least once a year. Most of our patients with diabetes can be cared for by the practice, but a few will still need to attend the hospital for their reviews. Asthma Asthma sufferers will receive advice and support from our Practice Nurses who specialise in asthma care. You should have an appointment at least once a year to check that you are still receiving the best care. Warfarin Many of our patients take Warfarin due to a variety of health problems. We are able to monitor this at a dedicated clinic with results available immediately. Home visits can be arranged if you are housebound. Family Planning: We offer family planning and sexual health advice and have dedicated clinics for insertion and removal of contraceptive implants and intrauterine devices. Foreign Travel If you are travelling to an area that may require vaccinations or anti-malarial tablets, please ask at Reception for the Travel Vaccination form. Once you have completed your details and returned the form, we will be able to advise what vaccinations you might need. Please try to organise this several weeks ahead as some vaccinations need two doses and can take some time to work.

8 Services not covered by the NHS The following services can be arranged for the appropriate fee. Please ask at Reception for details. Private Medical Examination We are able to carry out DVLA, HGV, PSV, pre-employment, life assurance, sports examinations, etc. Certificates Private medical certificates required by employers, educational institutions, passport forms/photographs, fitness to travel, fitness to drive, holiday cancellations, etc. Complaints At Largs Medical Group we aim to give a friendly and professional service to all of our patients. The Practice operates an in-house procedure for dealing with complaints. The Practice Manager is available to listen to your comments, suggestions or complaints regarding services or treatment you have received. A copy of our complaints procedure is available on request at Reception. Any matters you raise will be dealt with quickly, sympathetically and professionally. Freedom of Information The Freedom of Information Act 2002 requires us to implement a publication scheme. Details can be found on NHS Ayrshire and Arran s website Alternatively, a printed copy of our scheme is available on request from the Practice Manager.

9 Other health care services For information regarding services which are not provided by Largs Medical Group, please contact Ayrshire and Arran Health Board. Write: Communications Department, 3 Lister Street, Crosshouse Hospital, Kilmarnock. KA2 0BE Telephone: Fax: comms@aaaht.scot.nhs.uk Website: More national information is available at Data Protection Your medical records are processed in accordance with the Data Protection Act We cannot divulge information about you to anyone else unless we have your permission to do so, or are required by Law. We are required to give information to the local authority verifying the service provision to certain patients, in order that we may receive the appropriate payment. This information is processed in accordance with your rights as defined under the Act. Sometimes we may participate in studies designed to improve the way services are provided to you, or check that our performance meets the required standards. Whenever we take part in such activities we will ensure that, as far as possible, any details that may identify you are not disclosed. We are sometimes involved in health research and the teaching of student nurses, doctors and other health professions. We will not use or disclose your personal health information for these purposes unless you have been informed beforehand and have given your consent for us to do so.

10 Patients Rights and Responsibilities As a patient you have certain rights, some of which are detailed below: Your health records are confidential and information is processed in accordance with the Data Protection Act. You may gain access to your records under the terms of the Data Protection Act The Practice operates a non-discriminatory policy in that all patients will be dealt with equally regardless of race, religion, gender, age, sexuality, disability or socio-economic status. You are entitled to complain about any service or treatment you have received that you are unhappy with. Initially the Practice Manager will deal with this. You may accept or refuse treatment including examinations, tests and diagnostic procedures. Please ensure you have been given enough information to enable you to make an informed choice. As a patient there are certain responsibilities you have which can help the Practice work more effectively: Please notify the Practice of any changes in your name, address or telephone number and ensure you notify relevant hospitals or clinics at the same time. Ensure that when you are requesting repeat medication you give the Practice 48 hours to process these. If you are unable to attend a pre-booked appointment, please notify the Practice as soon as possible. Ensure that you follow the advice and treatment you have been given. If you are concerned about this please contact the person who gave you the initial advice. We aim to treat our patients courteously at all times and expect our patients to treat our staff in a similarly respectful way. We take seriously any threatening, abusive or violent behaviour against any of our staff or patients. If a patient is violent or abusive, they will be warned to stop their behaviour. If they persist, we may exercise our right to take action to have them removed, immediately if necessary, from our list of patients.

11 Practice Nursing Team: Lindsey Patton, RGN Level 1, Nurse Independent Prescriber Mabel McIntyre, RGN, B.Sc.- Open Carol Mulgrew, RGN, Nurse Independent Prescriber Liz Brice, Healthcare Assistant Level 2 Valerie Warwick, Healthcare Assistant Level 2 Jackie Boyd, Phlebotomist Appointments can be booked between 8.30am-1pm and 1.30pm-5.30pm. The nurses also run specialised clinics for Asthma, Diabetes and Heart Disease. Administrative staff: Kate Lawson, Practice Manager, is responsible for the day-to-day running of the practice. She will be able to help you with any administrative or nonmedical aspects of the service that we provide. We have an Admin team comprising 20 members of staff. All of our staff are employed on a part time basis. They are well trained and do their best to ensure the practice runs smoothly and patients are dealt with quickly and efficiently. This is not always an easy task and your co-operation and patience is appreciated. All information accessible by practice staff will be treated in the strictest confidence. Community Nursing Team: District Nurses The role of the District Nurse is varied and our District Nursing team provide an assessment, advice, education and care service to patients of all ages who require this in the home environment. Health Visitors Our Health Visitors are experienced nurses who are involved in health promotion and illness prevention. They provide support to families with children under five years of age, provide baby clinics and parenting classes, advice and family support covering a wide range of issues. Community Midwife Our Community Midwife is closely involved with your care during pregnancy and after delivery and holds weekly clinics at the practice.

12 Contacting us Largs Medical Group Brooksby Medical & Resource Centre 31 Brisbane Road LARGS KA30 8LH Telephone (01475) Fax (01475) Evenings and weekends For urgent advice when the Practice is closed NHS Useful telephone numbers District Nurse Health Visitor Community Midwife School Nurse Inverclyde Royal Hospital Crosshouse Hospital Royal Alexandria Hospital Ayr Hospital Ayrshire Central Hospital Ayr Hospice Ardgowan Hospice Social Work Department Vernon Centre Sign Language Alliance Pharmacy Halliday Pharmacy Morrison s Pharmacy Superdrug Pharmacy Emergency Dental Service (Out of hours & weekends) (NHS24)