GP Appointment System

All GP appointments are all booked via our ‘telephone first’ system. Your initial appointment will be a telephone consultation with a doctor. We will then discuss your concerns over the phone and book a face-to-face appointment if needed. You do not have to be available for an appointment that day – we can also book you in to evening or Saturday morning appointments if more convenient for you.

Many medical issues and follow-up appointments can be dealt with over the phone and prescriptions can be sent to a pharmacy near you saving you from traveling to the practice. If you prefer to see a GP face to face please let the doctor know this when you are speaking to them.

Appointments are available to book from 7pm the night before online or by phoning reception from 8am the day you need a call. As this is a busy time at the practice we encourage patients who can to use the online system and leave the phones available for other patients.

Nurse appointments can be booked in advance directly through reception.

If you are phoning for advice about results or referrals please avoid our busy time and call later in the day after 10am or register on-line.

Appointment Access at Hetherington GP

Appointment Access

Home Visits

If possible please try to telephone reception before 10:00am 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 yes.

NHS Symptom Checker

You can check your symptoms online via the NHS website using the link below before contact the GP

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/

GP Training

This practice has been chosen to help in professional training, and there may sometimes be a medical student present during surgeries. You will always be asked if you are happy to have a student present, and if you prefer to be seen alone they can leave. As always, consultations remain confidential.

We also have GP registrars who are doctors completing their specialist training in general practice

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)

 Keeping your online health and social care records safe and secure

health-and-social-care-summary.pdf

Community Pharmacy Consultation Service (CPCS)

Hetherington Group Practice are pleased to advise our patients that we are now able to refer our patients to Community Pharmacists for minor illness conditions for a same day consultation.

What is this new service about?

From 1 April 2022, when you call the practice, you will be asked about your symptoms. If they indicate that you can best be helped by a pharmacist, you will be offered a same day private consultation with a community pharmacist at a local choice of pharmacies.

Community pharmacists have already successfully seen thousands of patients for a consultation for a minor illness, following a call to NHS 111. This new way of arranging consultations with the pharmacist by a GP practice, has been successfully piloted around the county.

Why are you doing this?

Pharmacists are qualified healthcare professionals and experts in medicines with five years of training. They can offer clinical advice and over-the-counter medicines for all sorts of minor illnesses, and a same day consultation can be arranged quickly and at a time to suit you.

This in turns frees up GP appointments for those people with more complex symptoms who really need to see a GP.

What conditions can the clinical pharmacist treat?

 This will include minor ailments and minor illnesses such as:

• Bites and stings
• Colds and flu like symptoms
• Congestion (blocked or runny nose, hay fever, excess mucus etc)
• Ear wax
• Eyes (conjunctivitis, dry, runny or sore eyes)
• Gastric & Bowel issues (constipation, heartburn, indigestion, haemorrhoids, vomiting)
• Gynae & Thrush conditions
• General muscular pain, sprains and strains
• Skin conditions (acne, athletes foot, dermatitis, rashes, warts & verrucas, etc)
• Mouth & throat conditions (cold sore, ulcers, sore throat etc)

Updated 16.01.2023