Appointments

Appointments can be made by telephoning the Practice or by using the online booking system.

To use the online booking system you must first apply for a secure login account by completing the attached form or this form can be collected from the Reception desk.  Once we receive your applicaation it will be processed and we will send you a secure user ID and password by post to allow access to the appointment system via the link at the top of this page.  It is important that we have your current contact details to allow us to do this. 

When you receive your unique user ID and password you can log in to the appointments system to book or cancel routine GP appointments and phlebotomy appointments.  You will be able to book up to two appointments online at any given time.

Patient registration form for online services

Instructions for using the online services can be found here: Online Registration Guide

Consultations are held in Newport and Tayport each weekday morning and afternoon by appointment. Doctors work within a flexible rota and not all doctors work every day. Newport surgery premises are open from 8am - 6pm each weekday and Tayport surgery premises are open from 8am - 12pm each weekday. Your house call / urgent appointment request may be triaged by a doctor to ascertain how best to deal with your request.

Routine appointments are offered up to four weeks in advance and these can be pre booked at any time. Patients who have a set day off work and would like an appointment on that particular day can easily book this appointment ahead.

All emergencies and house call requests are dealt with by a doctor.

Please make a separate appointment for each person requiring to be seen. Doctor can only see one patient in the allocated appointment time.

Patients not seen within the last three years may ask for a consultation with a GP. Patients aged 75 and over who have not been seen by a GP within the last twelve months may ask for a consultation. Patients may consult with a doctor of their choice.  

URGENT APPOINTMENTS

Your urgent appointment request may be triaged by a doctor to ascertain how best to deal with your request.  Where this occurs, our reception staff will enquire with yourself the nature of the medical problem.  This is to allow the on-call doctor to triage any request in order of importance.

Patients who genuinely need to be seen urgently on the day will always be seen but if your problem is not urgent you will be offered an appointment at a later time.

The practice partakes in an extended hours service.  This services assists patients who may find it difficult to attend the practice during working hours.  Our service operates once per week and is based within our Tayport practice.  This service allows for both GP and nurse appointments to be booked.

If you require an extended hour appointment, please inform the receptionist who will be happy to assist you further.

Appointments with nurse and the healthcare assistant can be made by telephoning the Practice.  

Appointments for phlebotomy can be made by using the online appointment booking system, the automated appointment system or by telephoning the Practice.

Our practice nurses work Monday to Friday and offer a variety of appointment options.  Sometimes, our reception staff will enquire with you what the appointment is for.  This is to ensure you receive an appropriate appointment as our practice nurses are qualified in different areas.

Our healthcare assistants also work Monday to Friday 08.00 - 16:30.

Home Visits

If possible please try to telephone reception before 10:00 if you require a home visit.

You may only request a home visit if you are housebound or are too ill to visit the practice. Your GP will only visit you at home if they think that your medical condition requires it and will also decide how urgently a visit is needed.

You can be visited at home by a community nurse if you are referred by your GP. You should also be visited at home by a health visitor if you have recently had a baby or if you are newly registered with a GP and have a child under five years.

Sickness Certificates

You do not require a doctor's sickness certificate for any illness lasting seven days or less. Your employer may however require you to complete a self-certification form (SC2) which is available from your employer or on the HMRC website.

Evidence that you are sick

If you are sick for more than seven days, your employer can ask you to give them some form of medical evidence to support payment of SSP (statutory sick pay).

It is up to your employer to decide whether you are incapable of work. A medical certificate, now called a 'Statement of Fitness for Work’ (see below) from your doctor is strong evidence that you are sick and would normally be accepted, unless there is evidence to prove otherwise.

You could also provide evidence from someone who is not a medical practitioner, e.g. a dentist. Your employer will decide whether or not this evidence is acceptable. If your employer has any doubts, they may still ask for a medical certificate from your GP.

Statement of Fitness for Work - ’Fit Note'

The 'fit note' was introduced on 6 April 2010. With your employer's support, the note will help you return to work sooner by providing more information about the effects of your illness or injury.

For more information see the DirectGov website (where this information was sourced)

These are appropriate for either new problems or more chronic illness where your question can be answered without having to take time off your work.

Suitable problems might be advice about medication, requests for reports, finding out about hospital results / letters, or advice on how to treat simple ailments such as colds, coughs, chicken pox etc.

Please do not use this service for serious health problems or complex issues requiring more than a couple of minutes brief discussion. Please request one if appropriate.

FAILURE TO ATTEND OR CANCEL AN APPOINTMENT

Missed or failed appointments are a waste of a valuable resource. Our policy is the following:

If a patient fails to attend two routine appointments in one twelve month period, a warning letter will be issued.

If a further routine appintment is missed within the same twelve month period, the patient will be removed from the patient list.

Please assist us by contacting the practice ASAP if you cannot attend your appointment as this allows for another patient to use your appointment.

LATE FOR AN APPOINTMENT

If you are going to be late for an appointment, please contact us to let us know.  If you are more than 10 minutes late for your appointment, we may have to ask you to rebook.  This is because other patients are waiting to be seen and any delays can lead to a backlog of patients then becoming late themselves.