Rowan Tree
Surgery
Rowan Tree Road
Tunbridge Wells
Kent TN2 5PX
Telephone:01892 573108
Fax:0844 477 2537
Practice Website:
SURGERY TIMES AND ACCESS
Week days 8.00am - 6.30pm
Additionally on Tuesdays extended hours early morning from 7am for pre-booked appointments only.
We have morning and afternoon/evening surgerieswith home visits taking place in between.
The surgery premises have suitable access for disabled patients.
Rowan Tree Surgery is part of the Clanricarde Medical Group.
Clanricarde Medical Group Address is Abbey Court, 7-15 St John's Road, Tunbridge Wells, TN4 9TF. Telephone 01892 546422
Welcome to Rowan Tree Surgery
Contracted for the provision of General Medical Services by:NHS EnglandWharf House, Medway Wharf Road, Tonbridge TN9 1RE. Tel: 01732 375200
PARTNERS OF CLANRICARDE MEDICAL GROUP
Dr Nicole Averill - MB BS (London 2000) DRCOG DFFP MRCGP LOCIUT MRGCP
Dr Sian Thomas - MB BCh DFFP MRCGP
Dr Kirk-Smith - B BS BSc MRCGP
Dr Martin Jones - MB ChB MRCGP (1998 DCH)
Dr Katherine Morris - MB ChB (Edinburgh 2002) MRCGP DRCOG DFFP
Dr Helen Creed - MB BChir BA MRCGP DCH
Dr Vijay Koshal - MB BS (London 2001) BSc MRCGP DRCOG
GENERAL PRACTITIONERS
Dr Latha Kestur(F) MBBS (2002 Bangalore) MRCGP DRCOG
Dr Natasha Gilani (F) MBBS MRCGP MRCPCH DCH DFFP
Dr Rachel Myers-Lamptey (F) MBBS MRCGP DCH
PRACTICE MANAGER
Denise Netherton
NUSRSING TEAM
Bianca Hardy Registered Nurse
Helen Hutley Registered Nurse
Alison Porter Health Care Assistant (Blood pressure, blood tests and other routine checks)
MEDICAL SECRETARIES
Carole and Nikki
RECEPTIONISTS
Jonny Nikki, and Tracy
Apprentice Receptionist Emma
Rowan Tree Surgery is not a Training Practice however our partner practice Clanricarde Medical Centre is.
HEALTH VISITORS
Health visitors are trained nurses and can give advice on health care. They specialise in offering help and advice for 0 - 5 year olds.
Advice line: 03007900243, 9.00am - 12 noon, Monday to Friday.
Children's Clinic:Tuesday 1.00 - 3.00pm held at the Ark Children's Centre, Broadwater Down School. Tel: 01892 512680. At these times your child can see a health visitor without an appointment. Advice and help with all aspects of child health and development is also available.
COMMUNITY NURSES
The Community Nursing Service, for housebound patients, is provided by Kent Community Healthcare Trust. The team can be contacted directly on their office number 01892-5501861 between 8.00am and 4.00pm. For urgent concerns after 4.00pm please contact NHS 111.
Accountable/Named GP
From the 1st of April 2015, the practice was required under the terms of the latest GP contract to allocate all patients a named accountable GP.This is purely an administrative exercise in order that patients can have a named responsible GP should they require them.For convenience your named accountable GP will be the named doctor you are registered with.If you wish to be told the name of your accountable 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.
If you need input from a variety of health professionals, then you can discuss these with the named GP if you wish. Alternatively you can discuss these with any of the other doctors. Having a named GP does not prevent you seeing any other doctor in the practice. Your named GP will not be available at all times and if your needs are urgent, you may need to discuss them with an alternative doctor.
Rowan Tree Surgery can confirm that all of our patients (including children) have been allocated a named accountable GP.
Appointments with a Doctor or Practice Nurse
We offer pre-bookable and on the day appointments which are normally 10 minutes in length.The doctors deal with telephone call requests at the end of morning surgery.We appreciate your help in managing appointments to maximise the benefit for all patients. If you are unable to keep an appointment please let us know and we can make this available for another patient. It is possible to cancel an appointment online or by leaving a telephone message if the surgery is closed.
We are committed to putting patients at ease whenever possible, so if you would like a chaperone to be present during a consultation, please ask us.
Practice nurse appointments are available daily.
The nurses are the backbone of our health screening and health promotion activities and can help with stopping smoking, weight loss, healthy heart and well person checks.
Their other main duties include:
• Vaccinations and immunisations (including child/baby, travel, tetanus and flu)
• Cervical screening
• Dressings
• Routine checks such as blood pressure and weight & ECGs
• Taking blood and administering regular injections
• Ear syringing
• Removal of stitches and assisting GPs with minor surgery
• Working alongside the doctors in managing patients with asthma, COPD, diabetes and heart disease
How to Avoid Waiting
Please consider your need; you may not always need to see or speak to the doctor. We have a range of professionals available to help including our medical secretary who is able to offer assistance with all general queries.
The Common Ailments Scheme is offered by many pharmacies in the area and can help you obtain medication for common ailments such as cold sores, conjunctivitis, constipation, cough, diarrhoea, earache, fever, hayfever, indigestion, mild eczema/dry skin, nasal congestion, sore throat, sprains/strains, vaginal thrush. If you do not normally pay for NHS prescriptions you will not usually be charged for the medication you receive under this scheme.
When you need an appointment at the surgery please book one appointment for each person and for each condition you wish to discuss. Doctors and nurses overrun when patients wish to discuss a number of conditions at one appointment.
We do not expect you to disclose detailed medical information to our receptionists - however if you are able to provide brief information they will ensure you are allocated the correct time.
We appreciate at times there is a high demand for appointments. We always wish to support patients when there is an urgent medical need. If you have an urgent medical condition please let us know -even if all the appointments have been taken we will ensure a doctor talks to you [this may initially be by telephone - in some circumstances you will then be asked to attend the surgery for a face to face consultation].
Home Visits
Whenever possible you should come to the surgery as it is easier for us to diagnose and treat here. However, if you are too ill to come, please try to request your visit before 10.00am, to enable the doctors to plan their day.
When the Surgery is closed
Please call NHS 111, if you need medical help fast but it’s not a 999 emergency
Calls are free and answered by fully trained advisers who assess symptoms, give advice, arrange for patients to speak directly to a health professional if they need to, or send an ambulance if appropriate. For more information, visit
For immediate, life-threatening emergencies, call 999.
Alternatively you may wish to contact/visit a Minor Injuries Clinic. Waiting times at Minor Injury Units are often much shorter than at A&E Departments. These units can help with fractured arms or lower legs, sprains, cuts, minor burns and illnesses such as ear, nose and throat infections.
The local Minor Injuries Units are at Crowborough and Sevenoaks
Crowborough War Memorial Hospital. 01892 603602.
Southview Road, Crowborough, Sussex TN6 1HB.
Open 8.00am-8.00pm 7 days a week. X-Ray – Tues, Wed and Thursday 9.00am–4.30pm
Sevenoaks Community Hospital, 01732 470200.
Hospital Road, Sevenoaks,TN13 3PG.
Open 8.00am-8.00pm 7 days a week. X-ray 8.45am-5.00pm Mon-Fri
For non urgent matters please contact the surgery on the next working day.
Repeat Prescriptions
Repeat requests for patients on regular medication should be made in writing by ticking the required items on the previously supplied prescription counterfoil.Requests can be posted/faxed to us, or brought to the surgery.
Alternatively you may wish to register for the Patent Access services which, once registered, allow you to order repeat prescriptions and book appointments on-line.
Please indicate if you wish the prescription to be collected by a named pharmacy (Boots, Imperial, Sainsbury's, Carrs, Hollis, or Paydens) or posted to you (please include an SAE). If you would like us to send your prescription electronically to a pharmacy of your choice, please provide your consent and we can arrange this (this service enables the surgery to work more efficiently and saves NHS resources).Your prescription will normally be ready within 48 hours. We regret that we cannot accept requests by telephone.
Test and X-Ray Results
Please allow seven working days for test results to come through (two weeks for x-rays). Please call for your results between 3 and 5pm when the telephone lines are less busy.
Patient Online
For some time patients have been able to book appointments with the doctors and ordertheirrepeat prescriptions on-line. From 1st April 2016 patients are able to access their on line medical record which will include information relating to blood tests results and consultations.
If you are interested in this service please let us know and we will explain the process and what you need to do. Patients do need to be verified to access this service and it will usually requirea discussion with your GP.
Sexual Health Clinic (Rubins Clinic)
Mondays 9:00 to 4:00pm AND Thursday11:00 - 6.00pm.
This is a confidential and friendly service run by experienced members from Maidstone & Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust. For appointments at Rowan Tree Surgery please call the Rubin Clinic, Department of GU Medicine on 01622 225713. The clinic provides specialist sexual health advice and testing in:
- screening men and women for Chlamydia and Gonorrhoea - testing for sexually transmitted infections in those with genital symptoms - immediate treatment for all infections found - blood tests for syphilis and HIV including rapid HIV test (results in 60 seconds) - hepatitis screening and vaccination for those at sexual risk - hormonal emergency contraception - pregnancy testing and referral for termination of pregnancy - free condoms (Kent C Card holders welcome)
Family Planning
All GPs can offer advice on all types of family planning; however some services will require you to contact the Sexual Health Clinic. We provide free condoms for Kent C Card holders.
Maternity Services
Maternity care is shared between GPs and midwives. Booking clinics and regular antenatal checks are carried out here at the surgery on a Tuesday morning, and appointments with Sarah, the midwife, can be made at reception. We offer shared care, where we look after you before and after the birth, but ask the midwives to deliver your baby in hospital. If you are considering a home delivery, please speak to your midwife early on in your pregnancy.
Physiotherapy
This is available at the surgery on alternate Wednesday mornings and all day Fridays. You will require a GP referral.
Smoking Cessation
The practice nursing team will help support anyone who wishes to stop smoking, alternatively patients may wish to be referred to the Kent Stop Smoking Service. It is possible to call the service direct on 0300 123 1220 or Test QUIT to 87023.
The Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG)and NHS England are responsible for the provision of certain other General Medical Services, details of which are available upon request.
How to Register as a Patient
Application should be made by providing a medical card and/or registration form GMS1 (obtainable from the surgery) signed by the patient or person authorised to sign on their behalf. Evidence of your residential status will be required. To help provide you with the best possible health care we encourage all newly registered patients to have a new patient check.
Change of Personal Details
If you move house, change telephone number or change your name, please let reception know as soon as possible. You may need to register with another surgery if you move outside our area. Our receptionists will be able to advise you.
Personal Information
Our practice is registered under the Data Protection Act. Personal information is maintained so that you can receive appropriate care and treatment which, by necessity, requires the sharing of medical information between members of the practice team. We ensure that patient confidentiality is maintained at all times by all our staff. In common with all other practices some data may be shared with NHS professionals involved in direct care of the patient, the CCG and their contractors for the purpose of effective management of NHS services but there are strict guidelines and controls over what information can be released. If you would like to know more, please enquire at reception.
Freedom of Information – Publication Scheme
The Freedom of Information Act 2000 obliges the practice to produce a Publication Scheme. A Publication Scheme is a guide to the ‘classes’ of information the practice intends to routinely make available. This scheme is available from reception.
Comments/Complaints
We welcome your thoughts and suggestions on the way our surgery is run. If you have a complaint about any aspect of the practice, whether it relates to your treatment or to our organisation, please talk to the practice manager or to your GP. If you would prefer to put your complaint in writing or obtain help with this process the practice manager will be pleased to advise you. However, we hope you will give us the opportunity to learn from and resolve your concerns in the first instance.
The surgery has a Patient Participation Group (PPG) and you may wish to provide feedback to your representatives. The email address is or you may wish to write to the PPG at the surgery address.
You can obtain independent advice in relation to making a complaint about an NHS service from the following website, Alternatively you may wish to contact the Care Quality Commission (CQC) - the website address is & telephone number 03000 616161.
Violent Patients
Any patient who is violent and/or abusive to any member of the practice staff or other patients, may be reported to the police and immediately removed from the list of patients.
Practice Boundary
/ Outline of our Practice Boundary and how to find usThe surgery is located just off Broadwater Lane near the library. We are on a bus route and parking is usually available nearby.
Useful Contact Numbers
NHS 111 Service (Includes out of hours doctor) / 111Minor injuries Crowborough War Memorial Hospital 8.00am - 8.00pm / 01892 603602
DentaLine – for dental emergenciesthat cannot wait until your dentist reopens / 01634 890300
Tunbridge Wells Hospital at Pembury and Maidstone Hospital / 0845 155 1000
Queen Victoria Hospital / 01342 410210
Hospice in the Weald / 01892 820500
Community nurses office - 8.00am - 4.00pm / 01892 501861
Health visitors advice line, 9.00am -12 noon, Monday to Friday / 030007900243
Choose & Book National Appointments Line / 0845 608 8888
Adults'Social Services Kent - www.kent.gov.uk / 03000416161
Childrens' Social Services Kent / 03000411111
Social Services Out of Hours / 03000419191
Social Services East Sussex / 03456080191
Mental Health –Crisis team Out of Hours / 01622 725000
Mental Health - Duty team Highlands House / 01892 709211
Mental Health Matters – for confidential, emotional support 24/7 / 0800 107 0160
NHS West Kent Clinical Commissioning Group / 01732 375200