What happens when you request an appointment? 

Whether you ring the practice or pop in, the receptionist will ask you who you would like to see and when. In order to arrange an appointment with the most appropriate person, the receptionist might ask you to give an indication as to why you want to see the doctor or nurse.  The receptionist will also need to check that your name, date of birth and address match practice held information to ensure the correct medical records are selected. 
 
We understand that some medical matters are more sensitive than others and we would like to reassure you that all our receptionists have been fully trained to deal with all appointment enquiries and will preserve your privacy. Each member of the practice team including the doctors, nurses and receptionists, undertakes the same training in confidentiality. 

Appointment Types 

Our Nurse Practitioners and the doctors offer four types of appointments; same day, advance, telephone/video call and home visit. 

Advanced Appointments: These appointments are usually 10 minutes long and can be booked up to four weeks in advance. These appointments are generally for patients who have a problem already being dealt with by the doctor. If you know that ten minutes will not be sufficient please discuss with reception who will book a double  appointment. 

 
Telephone/Video appointments: As an alternative to visiting the practice in person you can book a telephone or video consultation with a doctor or other health care professional. A video consultation requires your explicit consent to be entered in your record beforehand; our reception team can sort this for you at the time of booking the appointment.

Home visits: Please click on the "Home visit" tab for more information

Other information 
 
If you are a Carer, please mention this to reception so your personal circumstances can be taken into consideration when booking an appointment.

We are a training practice. We have GP Registrars who are qualified doctors and have received training in many hospital specialities. They are then attached to our practice for a period of a year to 18 months. We also train medical students from the University of Southampton

For training purposes it is sometimes necessary for medical students to observe consultations and for GP registrars to video patients' consultations. However, in both circumstances this will only be undertaken with the patient's consent and will not take place during intimate physical examinations.   
  
 

Home Visits

If you are not well enough to come to the surgery you should telephone 01794 884269, preferably before 11.00am, so that the Doctors can plan their rounds.

Please be aware that The Nurse Practitioner and the Doctors can see four or five patients at the practice in the time it takes to see one patient at home. Please try to get to the surgery if you can.

General Practice explained

Here is a 48 page patient guide to GP services, which has been compiled by the Royal College of General Practitioners, called "It's Your Practice". This guide provides helpful information on all aspects of using GP services.

How do I obtain my test results

Most blood tests are available 5 working days after the test has been taken (although some do take longer). On average, it takes up to 14 working days to receive X-ray results or correspondence from the hospital after an out-patient attendance. If you wish to discuss the outcome of a hospital appointment, contact the receptionist first to ensure we have received the correspondence. We encourage all patients to check the outcome of any blood tests, X-rays or investigations requested by your doctor. Confidentiality has to be strictly observed and this means that, as a rule, results can only be given to the person who had the tests done. When one of our receptionists insists on this, she is acting on instructions, not being awkward.

What do I do about specimens?

Specimens are collected from the practice each weekday. If you have been asked to bring in a specimen, please ensure that it is at the practice by 12.30pm, clearly named and with your date of birth. A special "box" will be found next to the check-in screen on the right as you come through the main door. Please leave specimens in here. Samples can only be accepted in a small screw lid container available from reception.

The Link Scheme

If you need help to attend an appointment at the practice or the hospital, you can contact The Link Scheme (a service run by volunteers) to arrange a driver. Although there is no fare, they do ask for a donation. Please call 01794 884390

In very exceptional cases, the practice is able to book appointments for patients to attend hospital, however the Ambulance Trust has set strict criteria for the use of this service.

How do I ask for a "Fit for work" form (previously "Sick Note")

Once you have been absent from work for more than one week, you can obtain a "Fit for work". This form will give the reason for your absence as well as the length of time you may need to be off work.

"Fit for work" forms can be provided following a telephone appointment, however if you have not already visited the nurse practitioner or doctor about your medical problem, you may need to be seen at the practice.

How do I chase up a hospital appointment

If you are waiting for an appointment from the hospital and wish to know when it will be, please ring the hospital directly as the practice will not have this information.

If you have continuing problems with hospital appointments, do contact one of the practice secretaries who will try to help.

Long Term Conditions Support

The practice takes a positive approach in supporting patients who have a long term condition, for example;

• Asthma
• Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
• Cardiovascular Disease
• Diabetes
• Hypertension
• Mental Health

Patients who have a long term condition are offered a regular review with one of our Specialist Nurses. They can provide support and information and help to identify problems early suggesting interventions which may be of benefit.

Once we are aware of your Long Term Condition, you will receive an invitation for an annual review just before or during your birth month. You may be required to have a blood test or urine check as part of the annual review process.   If you do not wish to attend or are sent a pre-booked appointment that you know you cannot keep, it important that you let us know.

If you suffer from Asthma, you can check how well your asthma is under control by completing this Asthma Control Questionnaire

Once you have completed it, simply hand in to Reception for our Nurses to review your answers.

Whiteparish Surgery has a 24 hour blood pressure monitor and also electronic blood pressure machines for home readings. These can be lent to our patients when indicated by a doctor or nurse.