VILLAGE SURGERY
Amenbury Lane Harpenden
All enquiries 01582 712021
Appointments 01582 763951
Out of Hours: 111
Marford Road Wheathampstead
All enquiries 01582 833446
Appointments 01582 832258
Out of Hours 111
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Welcome
Our Practice has had a long established tradition of providing high quality medical care in Harpenden, Wheathampstead and the surrounding area since before the National Health Service came into being. By endeavouring to provide a caring and personal service whilst keeping abreast of the latest medical developments, it is our intention that this tradition continues.
PRACTICE MANAGER
Mrs Sylvia Foster
General practice is always changing and it is the role of the manager to co-ordinate and organise the practice. Mrs Sylvia Foster is here to ensure that the practice runs smoothly. She will help you with any administrative problems and is pleased to receive any suggestions you may have about improving the services available.
DEPUTY PRACTICE MANAGER
Anita Mixides manages the Wheathampstead Surgery and assists Sylvia. Anita is also responsible for dealing with any patient complaints, the IT and telephone systems.
PRACTICE NURSING TEAM
Mrs Jackie Kent – Practice Nurse
Mrs Deborah Gray – Practice Nurse
Mrs Charlotte Sharman- Practice Nurse
Kelly Wingfield - Healthcare Assistant
RECEPTIONISTS, MEDICAL SECRETARIES & ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF
We have four medical secretaries and sixteen receptionists over the two sites.
We also have a registration manager and contracts manager.
Our team of receptionists are here to help you make appointments to see the Doctors and Nurses. They also help you with other questions you may have about our services. If they cannot answer a query they will find someone else who can or phone you back
DISTRICT NURSES
This team is able to offer care and support to those patients with serious illnesses or disability, within their own homes. At the request of the doctor they can visit and assess patients.
COMMUNITY MIDWIFE
The Midwife shares responsibility for your antenatal care with your doctor and the hospital. She arranges antenatal visits and preparation for parenthood classes. Clinics are held both surgeries – please ring reception to make an appointment.
HEALTH VISITORS
There is no Health Visitor at the surgery but the Health Visitor for the catchment area can be reached on 01582 715675
If you have any suggestions please contact either
Sylvia Foster, Practice Manager or
Anita Mixides Deputy Practice Manager
Website@tvs_GP
If you are interested in joining our Patient Group please complete the form on the website.
Health and Safety - Infection Control
Our patients health and safety is most important
If you believe you could be suffering from an infectious disease – please inform reception – we can then isolate you in a separate waiting area
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Advice and SupportSt Albans Borough Council01727 866100
St Albans City Hospital01727 866122
Hemel Hempstead Hospital01442 213141
Watford General Hospital01923 266366
Social Services 0300 123 4044
Relate 01727 858126
Citizens Advice 01582 769387
National Childbirth Trust 0844 243 6153
Terence Higgins Trust 0808 802 1221
Cruse (Bereavement) 01582 491781
Age UK 01727 856741
Youth Talk01727 829439
Victim Support 01707 280580
NHS England 01707 390855
Charter House, Parkway, WelwynGarden City
Herts AL8 6JL
Doctors
Dr P Austen O'Hare (M) / MB ChB, MSc, DRCOG, FRSA
Dr Robert Walker
(M) / MB BCh, DRCOG, MRCGP
Dr S David Ingram
(M) / MB ChB, DRCOG, MRCGP
Dr Tania Goodwin
(F) / MB ChB, MRCGP
Dr Katherine Solomons (F) / BM DCH DRCOG MRCGP
Dr Preetesh Modi
(M) / MB BS BSc MRCGP DRCOG
Dr Håvard Molvik (M) / MD MRCS MSc MRCGP
Dr Sheetal Purohit(F)
Dr John Rawles (M) / MBChB MRCGP DRCOG DFSRH
BSc (Hons), PhD, MBA, MBBS, MRCGP.
Dr Mary Harding
(F) / MA MB BChir 1989 Cambridge MRCGP(GP Assistant)
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HELP US TO HELP YOU
Please read this section carefully and follow the guidelines given if you can – it will help you to get the service you expect.
HOW TO SEE YOUR DOCTOR
MAKE AN APPOINTMENT to see him/her by telephoning or visiting the surgery Monday to Friday between 8.00am – 6.30pm
Patients can also make appointments on line or by using the automated telephone booking service. Please ask at reception for details.
Commuter Surgeries – we now offer early morning and evening appointments. Please ask at reception when booking an appointment.
NOTE:
You will normally see your own doctor unless he/she is away. Please remember to call and cancel your appointment if you no longer need it or if you need to rearrange it.
Tell us as soon as you can if you cannot keep your appointment.
For certain appointments we are able to text appointment reminders to patients who have informed the Practice of their mobile number. If you do not wish to receive a text reminder please inform the surgery.
We have a Do Not Attend policy – patients will be contacted if they fail to attend for certain appointments. Please ask at reception if you wish to have a copy of the policy
Please keep your telephone call brief and avoid calling during peak morning time for non-urgent matters.
We ask that you treat the Doctors, nurses and practice staff with courtesy and respect. We operate a zero-tolerance policy and anyone who is violent or abusive will be asked to leave the premises and may be removed permanently from the Doctor’s list.
EMERGENCIES
IN A DIRE LIFE-THREATENING EMERGENCY, DIAL 999 FOR AN AMBULANCE.
In the case of other emergencies outside normal surgery hours, either call the surgery number on 01582 712011 and you will be given instructions on how to contact a duty doctor or alternatively call the Out of Hours Service on 111. You will speak to a trained healthcare professional.
HOME VISITS
Please telephone before 10am if possible. A home visit should only be requested if absolutely necessary – if you are extremely ill, disabled or frail. The surgery has much better
facilities and a Doctor can see many patients in the time it takes for 1 visit.
TEST RESULTS
You may not always need to see your doctor for the results of your tests. If you are asked to phone, please explain to the receptionist the nature of the test and the result you need.
Training Practice
We have an active commitment to medical education and, to this end, we have attached to the practice fully qualified doctors, known as registrars, who usually have behind them several years of hospital experience but are preparing for their own work in general practice.
They work closely with the partners in surgery as well as in emergency on-call work. Appointments may be offered for you to see our registrars who also take part in the emergency on-call rota. Video recording of consultations is occasionally used in training, but this is never without your entire approval and intimate examinations are never recorded.
Very occasionally we have medical students and nurses attached to us as part of their undergraduate training.
Named Accountable GP
We operate an ‘own list’ system at the practice. All patients have a named accountable GP who is responsible for the patient’s overall care at the practice.
If you wish to be told the name of your accountable/usual GP, please ask the receptionists when you are next in the surgery.Please note:there is no need to telephone the practice for this information.
Having a named usual GP does not prevent you seeing another GP at the surgery. Your named GP will not be available at all times and if your needs are urgent you may to discuss them with another GP.
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CONFIDENTIALITY & PRIVACY
All our staff have signed a contract to maintain your confidentiality. There is no need to give them your medical details but it is helpful if you can indicate the reason for your appointment or the amount of time you need.
If you would prefer to speak to a receptionist in private, please ask and you will be taken to a place away from the reception desk.
Please respect other patient’s privacy by not standing too close behind them at the reception desk.
CHAPERONE
If you require a chaperone, please ask at reception
CONSENT
If you wish to see the practice’s consent policy – please ask at reception
DISABLED ACCESS
Disabled access is via the front entrance. Harpenden Surgery has a lift.
CHANGE OF ADDRESS AND PHONE NUMBER
Please inform us immediately if you move, your phone number changes or if you change your name. If you live outside the practice area then you must register with another doctor.
CAR PARKING
There is no facility for patient parking at Harpenden Surgery.
Patients can park in the sports centre car park – there is a charge
There is a free public car park at Wheathampstead.
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REPEAT PRESCIPTIONS
Patients on regular medication may require a repeat prescription. Patients can request repeat medications on line. Please ask at reception for details. Your prescription should be ready within 2 full working days from receipt of the request. If you wish your prescription to be sent to a particular chemist, please advise us in writing or if you wish it to be posted to you, please enclose a stamped addressed envelope.
We do not take telephone requests for repeat prescriptions.
FIT to Work Certificate
You do not need an NHS sick certificate until you have been off work for one week. You will usually need to see your doctor to obtain one after this.
NON-NHS WORK
We can provide a range of non-NHS services for which we charge a fee. These services include examinations for employers, solicitors, insurance companies, PSV, HGV and elderly driving licenses.
Please note, a charge is usually made for completing passport applications, holiday cancellation forms and insurance certificates. Enquire with your GP for further details.
Accessible Information
Please inform reception if you have any communication needs – we are able to provide information in different formats dependent upon your needs.
SERVICES
NEW PATIENTS
New patients can request to register with the Practice if they live within the practice area. You can download new patient registration forms from the website
All patients are asked to provide photo ID and proof of address.
The practice does not discriminate on the grounds of race, gender, social class, age, religion, sexual orientation, appearance, disability or medical condition.
CERVICAL SMEARS
All women are offered a smear every 3 years routinely between 25-49 years of age, and every 5 years between the ages of 50-64. Our nurses have received special training for this purpose. If you have not had a smear in the last 3/5 years, please make an appointment with the Nurse. Women who have had a hysterectomy do not need this test.
FAMILY PLANNING CLINIC
All the doctors and nurses provide contraceptive advice as appropriate within their normal appointments. Some GPs also insert coils and implants.
CHILD HEALTH IMMUNISATIONS
We encourage all childhood immunisations to be done in the surgery. Reminders will be sent to you from the Child Health Department.
TRAVEL IMMUNISATIONS & OTHER INJECTIONS
The practice is a Yellow Fever vaccination centre and offers a full range of injections and advice for travel. Please contact the surgery at least 6 weeks before travelling as some injections consist of courses of 3 individual jabs. There are charges for some travel vaccinations.
At the beginning of October each year we have a campaign of influenza vaccination aimed primarily at those aged 65 and over, or within the at risk categories.
CHRONIC DISEASE MANAGEMENT
All patients with chronic disease such as diabetes, coronary heart disease, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and hypertension are encouraged to see our practice nurses for their review appointments, monitoring and supervision of treatment.
MINOR SURGERY
The Doctors offer a number of small procedures that can be carried out at the surgery
Including injections and some excisions.
SMOKING CESSATION
A regular smoker’s chance of getting lung cancer is 40 times that of a non-smoker.
The chance of dying from coronary heart disease is more than doubled in smokers and tripled in heavy smokers.
The risk goes up 8-fold in smokers with other risk factors such as high blood pressure and diabetes.The surgery runs a stop smoking clinic on a Wednesday afternoon.
Ask for advice about giving up smoking from you GP, practice nurse or pharmacist who is aimed to advise you on smoking cessation.
COMPLAINTS PROCEDURE
We always try to provide the best possible service but there may be times when you feel that this has not happened. The following explains our in-house complaints procedure. Our procedure is not able to deal with questions of legal liability or compensation. We hope you would use it to allow us to look into and, if necessary, quickly correct any problems that you have identified, or mistakes that have been made. If you use this procedure it will not affect your right to complain to NHS England – 01707 390855
Please note that we have to respect our duty of confidentiality to patients and a patient’s consent will be necessary if a complaint is not made by the patient in person. If you wish to make a complaint, we would request that you speak to the Deputy practice Manager, Anita Mixides, who will try to resolve the issue either by telephone or meeting with you to discuss the issue.Full details of your complaint will be taken and a decision made on how best to undertake the investigation. We believe it is important to deal with complaints swiftly and will respond to your complaint within a given time limit. We will try to address your concerns, provide you with and explanation and discuss any actions that may be necessary.
Please ask for a copy of our complaints policy/leaflet.
SUGGESTIONS / COMMENTS
We welcome your suggestions / comments – please put in writing and leave at reception.
ACCESS TO HEALTH RECORDS
Patients have a right to health information about themselves, but it is governed by the Data Protection Act 1988. Any request for access to health records must be made in writing to the
Practice Manager.
Care Data
How information about you helps us to provide better care; Information sharing and Care.Data – what you need to know
Confidential information from your medical records can be used by the NHS to improve the services offered so we can provide the best possible care for everyone
Commissioning Group
The Surgery is part of the 27 practices that form the Herts Valleys Clinical Commissioning Group.
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