Appointments

baby_mum You are free to see any of the doctors but it is helpful to continue to see the same doctor for an ongoing problem. Currently, there is a wait for routine appointments. Urgent matters will usually be seen the same day.

To make an appointment (this will currently be a telephone consultation, the GP or nurse will arrange a face to face appointment if this is required) either phone 01204 463110 between 9 am & 12:30 pm and 1:30 pm & 5pm, or call in at reception. Appointments are for one person and separate appointments need to be made for each person wishing to see the doctor. If you have a number of things to discuss or feel that your consultation will need extra time, please ask for a double appointment.

OUR APPOINTMENT SYSTEM

We have a number of types of appointments to try to use the available times in the best way.

We have urgent availability for on the day, some pre-bookable for non-urgent problems and some bookable within a week for reviews for problems that are not urgent but cannot wait until the next routine appointment. We also offer online consultations for routine issues and requests, access to this is on the opening page of our website and accessed by clicking the banner. The staff are well trained in the use of these appointments.

CHAPERONES

During more intimate examinations, the Doctor will ask for a chaperone to be present in the room. This will either be one of the nurses if available, or a member of the admin staff who have been trained. This is intended to protect both the patient and the doctor. Your privacy will be protected at all times. Patients are also welcome to request a chaperone.

Practice Nurses

In a number of cases it might be worth considering an appointment with a practice nurse rather than a doctor. Practice nurses are qualified to deal with many ailments and you may be seen more quickly.

Cancellations

If you cannot attend an appointment for any reason please inform us as soon as possible in order for us to give the slot to someone else. Please call 01204 463110 or 463111. Cancelled appointments can usually be filled even with short notice. Recurrent failure to attend booked appointments without cancelling them will be looked into by the practice. You can also book and cancel online by visiting registering for Online Access - please see the Online Services link on Quick Links.

Home Visits

Doctor's bag 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. A GP may telephone you first to get more information with regards to this. Please ensure your contact details are up to date with the practice.

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

Sickness Certificates 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.Your GP may be able to work with you to inform employers of amendments or support that could be put in place to enable you to get back to work.

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

We Will Always See a Sick Child If You Call Us...

We understand that children are very precious and can deteriorate quickly. If you feel your child needs medical attention please contact us straight away. We will always endeavor to see a sick child the same day. If you are not sure what to do you can contact us for GP telephone advice. The Out of Hours Service is also available for advice or consultation if you feel your child is too sick to wait for us to re open. They can be contacted on 0161 763 8940. This number is on our answering machine out of hours if you ring our number - 01204 463111

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Helping Future Generations....

At most times of the year we will have Manchester medical students on board at various stages of their training. Some will be nearing completion of training and others may be just starting out. Sometimes you may encounter a medical student sat in a consultation with your GP. This is a valuable part of their learning and development but we also recognise it is a privilege and not one that should be taken for granted. If you do not feel comfortable having a medical student present please let the GP or reception know. It is not a problem to ask them to leave for your consultation. All students coming into this setting are subject to the same GMC confidentiality guidelines that all the GPs are.

Often the medical students have a set learning outcome or need for their particular session and interviewing/discussing health matters with a patient with the condition in question can be an invaluable way for them to develop their understanding of an illness and their communication skills in general. If you feel you have a health condition that may help our future doctors and could spare half an hour at a set time please let us know. In particular some of the cases that the students will be looking for are:

Diabetes In pregnancy (also anyone with thyroid, epilepsy, asthma in pregnancy)
Placental problems in Pregnancy
Bleeding in early Pregnancy
Conception difficulties
Diabetes
Fractures
Epilepsy
Neurological disease
Mental Health issues
Back Pain
Arthritis
Rheumatological disease++
Stroke/ TIAs

Dr. Makkan and the Practice Manager, Helen Mitchell-Yorke are responsible for medical student planning so please get in touch with any queries.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank all our patients who have allowed medical students the opportunity to learn from them in one form or another.