SERVICES

APPOINTMENTS
All surgeries are by appointment with the doctor or nurse of your choice, if available and booked at 10 minute intervals. If you cannot keep an appointment please let us know so that it can be offered to someone else.  The practice employs locums to cover for clinical staffs absence during holiday and study leave.

CHANGE of ADDRESS/TELEPHONE NUMBER
Please let us know promptly of any change of address or telephone number.  It may be important in an emergency.

CHAPERONE POLICY
Overton on Dee Medical Practice is committed to providing a safe, comfortable environment where patients and staff can be confident that best practice is being followed at all times and the safety of everyone is of paramount importance.

All patients are entitled to have a chaperone present for any consultation, examination or procedure where they feel one is required. This chaperone may be a family member or friend. On occasions you may prefer a formal chaperone to be present, i.e. a trained member of staff. Wherever possible we would ask you to make this request at the time of booking appointment so that arrangements can be made and your appointment is not delayed in any way. Where this is not possible we will endeavour to provide a chaperone at the time of request. However, occasionally it may be necessary to reschedule your appointment.

Your healthcare professional may also require a chaperone to be present for certain consultations in accordance with our chaperone policy.

If you would like to see a copy of our Chaperone Policy or have any questions or comments regarding this please contact the Practice Manager.

CLINICS
To help us provide many of our health services, the surgery has regular clinics. These are by appointment only. The clinics we run are:

• Asthma
• Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
• Coronary Heart Disease
• Diabetes
• Hypertension

HEALTH CARE ASSISTANT
Our health care assistant undertakes the following at the request of the G.P. Nurses or Hospital:

• Blood pressure checks
• Blood tests
• ECGs
• New Patient Health Checks

HOME VISITS
If you are too ill to visit the surgery, the doctor may make a home visit.  Please contact us as early in the day as possible and give brief details to the receptionist to enable the doctor to assess the urgency of your call.  The doctor may phone you back.

HOW to REGISTER
Please enquire at Reception where you will be given the necessary forms to complete.

NEW PATIENTS
We invite you to make an appointment with the Health Care Assistant for a new patient health check. You will be asked to complete a questionnaire about your past and present health and any medication you may be taking.

PRACTICE NURSES
Our practice nurses are available for:

• Cervical Smears
• Diet advice
• Dressings
• Ear Syringing
• Flu vaccinations
• Health Promotion
• Immunisations
• Lifestyle advice
• Pneumovaccinations
• Smoking Cessation
• Travel Advice

REPEAT PRESCRIPTIONS
We require 48 hours notice so please ensure that you order your repeat prescriptions before you run out of your medication. To request a repeat of your medication complete the slip on the right-hand side of your prescription and return it to us.  Enclose a S.A.E. if you wish your prescription to be posted.
We do not accept telephone, fax or email  requests for repeat prescriptions.
The doctor may request that you to make an appointment to review your medication.

RESULTS of TESTS
Allow ONE WEEK before contacting us for the results of tests (TWO WEEKS for x-ray results).  Please phone or call in for results after 11:30 a.m.  Many tests need interpretation and discussion with the doctor so you may be asked to make an appointment.  Do not assume that  " no news is good news "  and ensure that you obtain all your test results.

ROUTINE HEALTH CHECKS
If you are a registered patient aged 16-74 years and have not been seen for three years, you may request an appointment for a routine Health Check. If you are a registered patient aged 75 years or over and have not been seen in the previous 12 months you may request an appointment, or, if because of a medical condition you are unable to attend, a home visit may be arranged.

SUPPLEMENTARY SERVICES
The practice offers a range of services in addition to the usual general medical services which include:

• Anticoagulant monitoring
• Contraceptive Services
• 8 week Baby Checks
• Family Planning
• I.U.C.D. Services
• Management of the Menopause
• Minor Surgery
• Near Patient Testing*

* (The monitoring of patients on drugs used for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, erythropoietin and methyphenidate)