General Information
Medical Research Data Collection
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Where to go when you are unwell
It is sometimes difficult to know what kind of help you need when you have a health problem.
In an emergency: In a critical or life threatening situation go to your nearest A&E hospital department or if you think immediate treatment by paramedics is needed call 999 for an ambulance.
An emergency is a critical or life threatening situation like:
• loss of consciousness
• heavy bleeding (except periods)
• suspected broken bones
• rash that does not fade when you press a glass tumbler of finger against it in an unwell adult or child
• chest pain for 15 minutes of more
• breathing difficulties - if someone is struggling for breath or turning blue
• overdose or swallowing something harmful or poisonous
• deep wound, like a stab wound.
Treatment of minor injuries
Royal South Hants Hospital Minor Injuries Unit, Brintons Terrace, Southampton.
Is open 7 days a week, 365 days of the year 8.00am – 9.30pm.
Minor Injury Units are there for patients with non emergency injuries and illnesses.You should head for the Minor Injury Unit for problems such as cuts, grazes, sprains and small fractures – you will not need an appointment and the Minor Injury Unit has better facilities to assess and treat minor injuries.
Bitterne Walk in Centre 02380 426356
The Centre is open Weekdays 6.30pm - 9.30pm, Weekends & Bank Holidays 8.30am - 9.30pm.
For the treatment of many injuries and ailments including: everyday cuts and wounds; rashes and sunburn; bites and stings; strains and sprains; stitches and dressing care.
What to do when the surgery is closed? and you need urgent medical treatment
If you have an urgent medical problem which cannot wait until the surgery re-opens, please call 111. Calls to the NHS 111 service are free from both landlines and mobiles.
Or alternatively if you are calling from outside of the area where the NHS 111 service is available but are registered with a GP practice that is within the 111 area or are calling on behalf of someone within the 111 area, please call 01962 718697. Please note that calls to this number are charged for.
CONFIDENTIALITY & DATA PROTECTION
All staff are bound by the rules of professional confidentiality and an interview room is available for confidential enquiries. Please ask at Reception if you would prefer to use this facility. We are fully computerised and registered under the Data Protection Act.
We keep medical information about you on paper and on the computer system under the requirements of the Data Protection Act. If you require a copy of your medical notes, we will provide one: this is what you should do:
• Tell us what you want in writing, include thedates of the notes you want copies of
• Sign the letter
• Provide us with the fee for this work which is: £10 for a print-off from the computer £50.00 for copies of all or part of your notes.
Alternatively you can request to come in and view your notes.
If other people (such as solicitors or insurance companies) wish to have copies of your notes, a practice consent form will be required (Releasing Health Records under the Data Protection Act 1998). Details can be obtained at Reception.
YOUR PERSONAL HEALTH INFORMATION
We ask for information about yourself so that you can receive the best possible care and treatment. We keep this information, together with details of your care, to ensure that your doctor or nurse has accurate and up to date information. It may also be needed if we see you again.
We only use or pass information about you to people who have a genuine need for it. Whenever we can, we shall remove details that identify you as an individual.
Everyone working for the NHS has a legal duty to maintain the highest level of confidentiality about patient information.
If at any time you would like to know more about how we use your information, you can speak to Mrs Lynda Langford, the Practice Manager.
CHARITABLE TRUST
Following a number of generous donations from patients and their relatives, we decided to form a Registered Charitable Trust to purchase equipment etc. for the benefit of our patients.
Here are a few examples of some of the equipment purchased over the last few years thanks to the generous donations we have received:
State of the art ECG machine |
Brio Train Table for Waiting Room |
Baby Changing Unit |
Bead Frames |
Nebulisers |
Hydraulic Examination Couches |
Defibrillator |
Pulse Oximeter |
Syringe Drivers
(for pain relief in the terminally ill) |
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If you would like further details of the Charitable Trust, please contact our Practice Manager.
SMOKE STOP
Do you want to stop smoking or do you want to stop and not sure how to do it? We can help!
Book a 'Smoke Stop' appointment. You will meet with a nurse who is specially trained in helping people to stop smoking.
You will be offered specific help and support. Nicotine Replacement Therapy is now available on prescription too.
If you prefer to work in a group, contact Quitters on 0845 6344484 who will arrange this for you.
TRAVEL HEALTH CONSULTATION
World travel is on the increase with a trend to destinations in far off places. Whether on business, holiday or visiting family overseas it is wise to plan for your health as well as your travel.
Our nurses are trained to assess your needs according to destination, mode and length of travel and the type of activities you are planning. They can give verbal and written information using recognised, up to date sources.
We are a Registered Yellow Fever Centre and stock a wide variety of vaccines. We will plan an immunisation schedule tailored to your needs.
Malaria continues to be a life threatening condition in many parts of the world. Specific advice will be given regarding protective measures.
REMEMBER: Make a Travel Health Consultation in plenty of time, particularly if planning to visit several destinations.
We cannot offer emergency travel appointments.
HELP US TO HELP YOU
The staff at the practice endeavour to give you the best possible service. In order that they can do this, please observe the following points:
Please do not be discourteous to our staff. They are all doing their best, sometimes under difficult conditions.
Please inform the surgery of any alteration in your circumstances, such as a change of surname, address or telephone number. In an emergency situation, it is essential that we have your correct home address and telephone number.
COMMENTS, COMPLAINTS & SUGGESTIONS
We welcome your comments with regard to the service we provide.Our
aim is to provide the highest level of care for all our patients. We will always be willing to hear if there is any way you think that we can improve the service we provide.
Making a complaint
If you have any complaints or concerns about the service that you have received from the doctors or staff working for this practice, please let us know.
We hope that most problems can be sorted out easily and quickly, often at the time they arise and with the person concerned. If your problem cannot be sorted out in this way and you wish to make a complaint, we would like you to let us know as soon as possible - ideally within a matter of days or at most a few weeks. This will enable us to establish what happened more easily. If it is not possible to do that, please let us have details of your complaint:
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Within 6 months of the incident that caused the problem; or
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Within 6 months of discovering that you have a problem, provided that is within 12 months of the incident.
Jennie Dock will be pleased to deal with any complaint. They will explain the procedure to you and make sure that your concerns are dealt with promptly. You can make your complaint:
In Person - ask to speak to Jenny Dock.
or In writing - some complaints may be easier to explain in writing. Please give as much information as you can, then send your complaint to the practice for the attention of Jennie Dock, Practice Manager as soon as possible.
What we shall do
Our complaints procedure is designed to make sure that we settle any complaints as quickly as possible.
We shall acknowledge your complaint within 3 working days and aim to have looked into your complaint within 10 working days of the date you raised it with us. We shall then be in a position to offer you an explanation, or a meeting with the people involved.
When we look into your complaint, we shall aim to:
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find out what happened and what went wrong
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make it possible for you to discuss the problem with those concerned, if you would like this
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make sure you receive an apology, where appropriate
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identify what we can do to make sure the problem does not happen again.
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At the end of the investigation your complaint will be discussed with you in detail, either in person or in writing.
Complaining on behalf of someone else
Please note that we keep strictly to the rules of medical confidentiality. If you are complaining on behalf of someone else, we have to know that you have his or her permission to do so. A note signed by the person concerned will be needed, unless they are incapable (because of illness) of providing this.
What you can do next
We hope that, if you have a problem, you will use the practice complaints procedure. We believe that this will give us the best chance of putting right whatever has gone wrong and the opportunity to improve our practice.
However, this does not affect your right to approach the NHS Commissioning Board if you feel you cannot raise your complaint with us. You can write to them at: Comments and Complaints Unit, NHS Commissioning Board, PO Box 16738, Redditch, B97 9PT. Telephone No. 0300 311 2233.
Email: nhscommissioningboard@hscic.gov.uk.
If you are not content with the outcome of your complaint you can ask the Ombudsman to independently review your case by writing to: The Health Service Ombudsman, Millbank Tower, Millbank, London, SW1P 4QP. or Email phso.enquiries@ombudsman.org.uk or by telephone on 0845 015 4033. Website www.ombudsman.org.uk
If you have received particularly good service from us, please let us know and we will tell the clinician or member of staff concerned.
FREEDOM OF INFORMATION AND DATA PROTECTION ACTS
The practice complies with the Freedom of Information and Data Protection Acts. Details are available upon request from the Practice Manager.
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