Tennyson House Surgery Practice Brochure

TENNYSON HOUSE SURGERY PRACTICE BROCHURE

DR STEAD AND PARTNERS (non -limited partnership)

DR CHARLOTTE STEAD – (f)- GP PARTNER – MB BS BSc DRCOG FPA 1990 LONDON

DR JOANNA ROBERTS – (f) – GP PARTNER – BSc MB BS MRCP DRCOG 1995 LONDON

DR SHAHZAD AHMAD – (m) – GP PARTNER – MbCHB 1998 MRCGP 2008

DR MICHAEL RADFORD – (m) – GP PARTNER – BCh BM OXFORD 2000 DRCOG MRCGP MA

CANTAB

DR GABRIELA HADIAN – (f) – SALARIED GP – QUALIFIED TIRGU MURES 1992

DR ELENA SAVICI – (f) – SALARIED GP –DOCTOR-MEDIC 2002 ROMANIA MRCGP UK MAY 2015

PRACTICE MANAGER – Rebecca Pittuck –DIP ILM in Primary care management

RECEPTION MANAGER – Liz Allenby

PRACTICE NURSES: Gill Higgins SRN/DN, Stella Tidman SRN/DN, Jan Moore RGN, Jess Barker BSc Adult Nursing

HEALTHCARE ASSISTANTS: Marian Owens, Isabella Johnson

RECEPTIONISTS: Alison, Anna, Bridie, Jenny, Lee, Marian, Sarah, Sandra, Shirley

SECRETARIES: Debbie and Mandy

ADMINISTRATION STAFF: Lesley, Sue P, Alison and Lee

THE PRACTICE: The practice moved to Merlin Place in 1998 and was extended in 2006.The practice consists of 4 Partners and 2 salaried GP`s, 4 Practice Nurses, 2 Healthcare assistants as well as associated staff of District Nurses, Health Visitor, Midwife, counsellor and smoking cessation advisor. We have a Practice Manager, Reception Manager, 9 Receptionists,2 Secretaries and 3 other Administration staff. We are an approved training practice and usually have at least 1 GP Registrar at any one time as well as Foundation Drs and Medical Students. We have full access for our disabled patients including toilet facilities and access to all rooms.

HOW TO REGISTER: We accept patients from the North area of Chelmsford as shown on the map on the last page. Please ask at reception for the correct documents for you to fill in to enable you to register at the practice. We may ask to see your passport and relevant visas as appropriate.

HEALTH CHECKS: If you are a new patient on regular medication please book into have a health check with the Health care assistant. We also offer health checks every 5 years to all patients over the age of 40, so if you have not had one please book yourself an appointment.

OPENING HOURS: Our reception is open from 8.30AM TO 6.30PM, Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday and 8.30AM TO 8.45PM on a Tuesday

We are closed Saturday, Sundays and all bank holidays.

TELEPHONE LINES ARE OFF BETWEEN 1.30PM AND 2.30PM DAILY.

The times above do not necessarily reflect when clinical appointments are available.

MAKING AN APPOINTMENT: To see a Doctor or Nurse please telephone, use our online booking service, or call in at reception. If possible please phone between 8.30 and 9.30am for anything urgent and after 9.30am for non-urgent and prebookable appointments.

We also offer an extended access service on Tuesday evenings from 6.45pm to 8.20pm.

You can express a preference to see a particular clinician but please note they may not always be available especially in cases of emergency. However we will do our best to accommodate such requests. A normal appointment time is 10 minutes so if you think you may need longer please mention this to the Receptionist when booking your appointment.

TEXT MESSAGES: We can send you reminders about your appointment via text messaging-please make sure you give us your latest mobile number if you want this service. We also send you a text message if you miss your appointment.

CHAPERONES: If you require a chaperone to be present during your consultation with a Doctor or a Nurse then please let us know at the time of booking if possible.

HOME VISITS: If a patient is too ill to attend the surgery, please telephone before 10.30am if possible so the urgency of the call can be assessed. It is obviously better if you can attend the surgery where we have the equipment available for a fuller examination and carry out further tests as necessary. Please note a GP could see 4 to 6 patients at the surgery in the time it takes to do 1 home visit. This service is meant for the elderly and infirm only.

TELEPHONE CALLS: If you wish to speak to a Doctor, please telephone the surgery and leave a message with the Receptionist. The Doctor will phone you back at the end of his/her morning or evening session. However if it is more urgent please stress this at the time and we can arrange with the Duty Doctor to speak to you as soon as possible.

HELP US TO HELP YOU: Please make a separate appointment for each person who is to see the Doctor. Please remember one problem per appointment, you will be asked to rebook if you have further problems to discuss.

IF YOU CANNOT ATTEND: If you cannot keep an appointment please let us know so we can cancel it and offer it to someone else. If you are late please do not expect to be seen as others will have turned up on time and will be seen in order. Unfortunately due to the nature of some illnesses and unforeseen emergencies the Doctor may run late, we ask that you be patient during any extra waiting time but if you feel you cannot wait please inform the Receptionist who can book you in for another appointment.

ON-LINE SERVICES: We offer all patients over the age of 18 with access to a computer the choice to book appointments, see a detailed coded record and request repeat prescriptions via our website www.tennysonhouse.com . To register to use this facility, please come to the surgery with a form of photographic identification and we will process your application.

REPEAT PRESCRIPTIONS: Please note that repeat prescriptions can be requested by online services, putting your request in the box in reception or outside the surgery, at the desk by filling out a form or by fax. If you want the prescription posted back then please leave a stamped addressed envelope with the request. We also have a few chemists that offer a courier service so either ask your chemist or reception about this service. All prescriptions take 48hours to produce and be signed so please allow this time before attempting to pick up your repeat. Please also remember at bank holiday times to hand your repeat in a bit earlier as we will have less time for them to be processed at these times of year. We also use the Electronic prescription process (EPS) this gives you the opportunity to have your prescription sent electronically to your pharmacy of choice-ask at Reception or your local pharmacy about this. All patients on regular medication will need to be seen at least annually –this includes those that are seen regularly at the hospital because the responsibility of issuing your repeat prescriptions still lies with the GP.

WE DO NOT TAKE PRESCRIPTION REQUESTS OVER THE PHONE AS ERRORS CAN OCCUR IF THE REQUEST IS NOT IN WRITING.

TEST RESULTS: These are received daily electronically and need to be checked by a Doctor before any information is given to the patient. For reasons of confidentiality we are unable to tell anyone other than the patient what the result is. If you have online access you will be able to see your results online. If you would like your results given out to someone else we require your written consent in advance. If you do not have online access then to get your results please contact the queries department which is available Monday to Friday 10.30am to 1.30pm.

MEDICAL HELP WHEN THE SURGERY IS CLOSED: If you require urgent advice when we are closed please telephone the surgery number 01245 260459 and listen to the message on who to contact (Usually 111) Please only use their service for genuine emergencies only. Between 8am and 8.30am Monday to Friday please phone 0771 9071446 for any emergency advice. You can also ring NHS 111 for any medical advice at any time on 111. If you need an ambulance please dial 999.

NURSING TEAM SERVICES: Asthma, audiogram, blood pressure checks, cervical smear tests, childhood immunisations, contraception, diabetic checks ,dietary advice, ear syringing, ECG test, blood tests for over 65`s, stitch removal, travel vaccinations, wound care, health checks.

TRAVEL HEALTH ADVICE: Please visit the fit for travel website if possible on www.fitfortravel.nhs.uk to determine which travel vaccinations you require prior to seeing the Nurse and bring a print out with you. This will assist the Nurse in keeping to the allotted time, it is important that you have the vaccinations 6 to 8 weeks before travel.NB: Some vaccinations for travel purposes are chargeable as are not administered under the NHS and we may ask you to arrange to have these elsewhere, please check with Reception when you book your appointment what the charges may be.

OTHER SERVICES AVAILABLE: Minor surgery, Family planning advice, Health visitor, IAPT counselling. You will need to see a GP before you can be given an appointment with a counsellor.

PATIENT PARTICIPATION GROUP: We are always looking for more patients to join our Patient Participation group –PPG. If you are interested in sharing your views and helping the practice please fill out the form available from reception or from our website.

RESEARCH: We have become more active in some medical research studies to help patients so we hope some of our patients will become more involved as new studies are offered. No patient information will be given to any research companies without the consent of patients beforehand.

TRAINING: The practice has been accredited as a GP Training Practice. This means the practice will have attached to it a qualified Doctor training to specialise in General Practice and each doctor will remain with us for a period usually of 18 months, so you may be offered an appointment with them.By the time you see a GP trainee they will have spent at least 5 years at medical school to qualify as a doctor. Then they will have done two years working in hospital then start a three year training programme to become a GP.

As part of their training the GP trainees need to record some of their consultations as part of their assessment. You may be asked by the receptionists if you would be happy to take part in this if you have an appointment with the GP trainee. At any time you are able to say "no" to being recorded and this will not prejudice the way your consultation is viewed or handled in any way. At the end of your consultation, if you don't wish the recording to be used, you can state this and the tape will be erased. However please note that all recordings are kept confidential and are destroyed when no longer required.

At any time if you do not wish to be seen by a GP trainee at your consultation please feel free to bring this to the attention of the receptionist or GP. At no time will this decision prejudice your care with us.

We also have Foundation Doctors (previously house officers) who will be with us as a placement for 4 months at a time.

We also have 3rd Year medical students in a few times a year and you will occasionally be asked if you mind seeing them. A senior Doctor is supervising the Students at all times but you can say no if you would prefer not to see them. Please let Receptionist know at time of booking.

YOUR DETAILS: It is very important that you let us know if you change your address or telephone number (including your mobile number). We would also like your email address that we may be able to use in the future. By giving us this information it is deemed that you consent to us contacting you in these ways unless you tell us otherwise.

COMPLAINTS: If you have a complaint about the service we offer then please ask to speak to the Practice Manager or Reception Manager or ask a Receptionist for a complaints form or write to the Practice manager directly.

YOUR COMMENTS: If you have any comments or suggestions about the services we offer, please let us know by either writing to the Practice Manager, making a comment on NHS Choices website or filling out a “Friends and Family” test card on our website or in the surgery.

NON NHS WORK FEES: We offer appointments for medicals. Filling in some forms such as holiday cancellations are subject to a fee as they are considered non NHS work and have to be done in the Doctors own time. There is a list of services available and charges in reception and in the waiting room.

ZERO TOLERANCE: We have a policy of zero tolerance towards verbal or physical violence towards staff or other patients. Whilst we accept you may be ill, agitated or frustrated the staff are here to help you and should not have to deal with such behaviour in their workplace. Patients who ignore this may be removed from the list and the police may be called.

PATIENTS RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES: Our staff have strict rules on confidentiality and no personal details will be divulged without patient’s written consent. Computer held information is subject to the Data protection act.

Medical information that cannot be traced to an individual may be passed to third parties for research and statistical purposes. A patient can ask to see their medical records with a GP present to discuss through or have a copy of them; a charge is made for both these services.

Patients have a responsibility to attend appointments or cancel them in good time if they cannot attend. If a patient persistently fails to attend they may get removed from the practice list.