Spinney Brook Medical Centre

HOW DO I...
REGISTER WITH THE PRACTICE?

Simply come and visit us at 59 High street and collect a registration pack (one for each member of the family). You are required to prove your entitlement to NHS Treatment.

HOW DO I...
OBTAIN TELEPHONE ADVICE?

A nurse is available between 12 noon and 1.45pm to give general health advice and discuss the results of blood tests etc. The doctors can be contacted by telephone but are not usually available to speak to you on demand. It is therefore always advisable to phone first and ask which doctor is available that day and what time would be convenient to call. The receptionist will advise you.

HOW DO I...
MAKE AN APPOINTMENT?

All attendances at the surgery are by appointment. To make an appointment ask at the reception desk or telephone 650303. Routine appointments can be made up to three weeks in advance with the Doctor of your choice. Please make a separate appointment for each patient. Appointments are booked at 10-minute intervals but we realise that some problems may take longer than others. If the surgery does not run strictly to time, please be patient. Doctors are available between 8.30am - 6.00pm every weekday (up to 8.00pm Monday and Wednesday).

If you are unable to keep an appointment, please cancel it in good time so that we can offer it to someone else. Please remember you can cancel unwanted appointments at any time day or night by phoning the appointments number 01933 650303 and leaving the details at the end of the message.

URGENT APPOINTMENTS (Same-day Appointments)

A doctor or nurse will always see genuine urgent cases but you may be asked to wait, so please be patient. During urgent consultations we will not be able to discuss other 'non-urgent' problems. Those patients needing an urgent appointment will be seen by one of the Triage Team (not the doctor of your choice) and will be given an approximate time to attend.

Calls for urgent appointments are taken from 8.30am onwards.

• When a request is made for an urgent/same day appointment the receptionist will take a phone number and arrange for a nurse to call you back.
  
• The nurse will ask a few questions in order to decide who is the most appropriate to deal with your clinical problem and will give you an approximate appointment time.
  
• Patients who come in person to request an urgent appointment, rather than telephoning, will be seen by the same nurse who will arrange an appointment, in the same way. (It is important to note that while you will be given the earliest available appointment time, attending in person will not mean you will be seen any sooner.)
  
• Everyone who is assessed as needing an urgent appointment will be seen that day.

HOW DO I...
OBTAIN A HOME VISIT? 01933 650593

Home visits are made at the discretion of the doctor. Please do not ask the doctor to call unless the patient is genuinely too ill to attend the surgery. Call 01933 650 593 before 10.30am to request a home visit on that day. The receptionist will ask for full patient details, telephone number and the reason for the visit. This information enables the doctors to plan their calls and allows urgent visits to be dealt with as soon as possible.

The doctor may telephone the patient to obtain more information and may ask the patient to come to the surgery. A request for a home visit does not necessarily mean that the doctor will visit. It is the doctor who decides what course of action is the most appropriate.

HOW DO I...
OBTAIN PATH LAB RESULTS (BLOOD AND URINE TESTS ETC)?

Your result is your responsibility. We do not telephone you routinely to give you your results. Please wait for one week and then phone us; most results will take several days to process.
When enquiring about your results, please telephone the medical centre on 01933 650593 between 12 noon and 1.45pm.

HOW DO I...
OBTAIN REPEAT PRESCRIPTIONS? (Patients on long-term medication)

Patients on long-term medication may request repeat prescriptions. Repeat medication is something that the doctor feels you need to take regularly for a period of time. Only the doctor will decide which medication should be repeated. When requesting your repeat prescription we would prefer that you return the most recent computerised list to us and tick only the medication you require for that month. The list can either be put in the box in the hallway or, if we are closed, posted in the letterbox to the left of the front doors. If you prefer to post your prescription and would like it posted back we ask you to enclose an SAE. Please allow us two working days to process your prescription (we do not work Saturdays, Sundays or bank holidays). Please collect your prescription after 2.00pm from Irthlingborough Medical Centre and after 11.00am from Woodford Medical Centre. Patients in Irthlingborough can arrange for Cox and Robinson to collect their prescription for them so that it is processed and ready to collect after three working days. Should you wish to use this very good service, please speak to Cox and Robinson Chemist. Alternatively, you may wish to register for our Internet service, where you can order repeat medication online. To register for this, just ask at reception.

When your medication requires review you may be advised to make an appointment with the doctor or practice nurse.

Due to continual review of patient medication, taking into account recommended doses, safety guidelines, changing prices, interaction between drugs, you may find your usual medication has been changed to an equivalent alternative - you will always receive a written notification. If you have any concerns, please speak to your usual doctor.

HOW DO I...
CHANGE MY DETAILS?

Please help us to keep your records accurate by informing us of any changes to your name, address or telephone number. If you move out of the practice area you will need to register with the GP practice that covers your new address.