Welcome to Orchard Medical Practice
We strive to provide the best service we can to our patients as we continue to come out of the Pandemic. The demand for GP services has spiralled over recent months and this has been throughout GP practices in the country as you may have seen on the news.
We are operating a telephone triage or video call service first as we are still having to adhere to Government guidelines with 1 metre distance in our waiting areas and so this obviously limits how many patients we can see face to face, but rest assured if the clinician feels you need to be seen they will ask you to come down to the practice at a safe time. We do expect patients to a wear masks or face covering to protect themselves, other patients and our staff. We do have masks available at our reception desk if you require one. Please do not attend the practice if you have coronavirus symptoms.
Our telephone lines are still extremely busy which we understand can be frustrating so our 'contact us' section below may be of help to you if your problem isn't too urgent.
We thank our patients for helping us to provide the best care by using other services such as pharmacies, NHS 111https://111.nhs.uk/utm_source=nhsuk&utm_campaign=homepage
Should you require help outside of practice hours please either call NHS 111 or go to Primary Care 24 based at King's Mill.
Please also visit LIVE WELL for advice and tips on healthy eating/exercise/alcohol and a whole host of help and ideas to help you make the best choices about your physical health, mental health and wellbeing
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'NEW Contact us online'
You can contact us about a medical, administrative or prescription issue by clicking HERE. Answer a few short questions and we will get back to you within 5-6 working days. Please DO NOT use this online form for urgent or emergency requests. The submitted forms will only be read during working hours 9.00 am - 5.00 pm. The forms will not be read on the weekends (Saturdays and Sundays) or on bank holidays. They will not be read Monday-Friday between the hours of 5.00 pm - 9.00 am.
Please also note that if you ask for a specific time that you wish to be contacted, unfortunately we may not always be able to comply with this.
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Frequently Asked Questions:
What should I do if I need an urgent on-the-day appointment with a GP or a Nurse?
If you have symptoms you are worried about, it is important to contact us so we can find out more and make sure you are getting the care you need. We will arrange a telephone triage call first or a video call and if you need to be seen a face to face appointment will be offered. If there are no book on the day appointments left you can visit PC24 at Kings Mill Hospital. Alternatively, you can call NHS 111 for advice or visit NHS 111 online for coronavirus advice. In an emergency, call 999.
There are no appointments left on any day what are my options?
Unfortunately we can only safely triage and see a realistic number of patients per day, we will never meet the demand of the calls we have coming in to the practice. It is really important to use other methods of help when we are at capacity such as the ones mentioned above or the 'contact us on line' (see below) method - please remember though this is for non-urgent medical problems.
Why do I have to listen to the Coronavirus message on the phone lines?
We are under instruction to still have the Coronavirus message on our phone lines.
You Said We Did
We have listened to your feedback and suggestions over the last few weeks with regard to you preferring to be informed there are no more appointments available on the day rather than being held in the queue. You will now hear Dr Mills stating when our calls are full rather than putting you in the call queue. Our receptionists are still available for any other patient queries or appointment bookings for example nurse appointments.
Why does the receptionist ask what is wrong with me?
The reception staff are members of the practice team and it has been agreed they should ask patients ‘why they need to be seen’. Reception staff are trained to ask certain questions in order to ensure that you receive:
- The most appropriate medical care,
- From the most appropriate health professional,
- At the most appropriate time.
Receptionists are asked to collect brief
information from patients:
1. To help doctors prioritise house visits and phone calls
2. To ensure that all patients receive the appropriate level of care
3. To direct patients to see the nurse or other health professional rather than a doctor where appropriate.
In the last 6 months we now have new types of clinicians working with us such as pharmacists, paramedics, First Contact Physio's, Social Prescribers for example so it is important to direct your call to the most correct person.
What should I do if I need to order a repeat prescription?
We haven't taken repeat prescriptions over the phone for many years now. Ways in which you could order a repeat prescription are to sign up with your pharmacy -they may be able to order and deliver your prescription for you, please ask at your local pharmacy. You can also sign up to Systmonline to order your request . If you have any queries over your prescription we do have a prescription helpline which is available between 11 am - 12 pm and again 2pm - 3pm Monday to Friday.
Coronavirus Information
If you need help and advice regarding coronavirus symptoms please click here https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/symptoms/
Are you waiting for your hospital appointment?
The My Planned Care website supports people waiting for a hospital appointment, operation or treatment, and gives them advice and support while they wait. This includes access to average waiting times at their hospital and other useful advice and local services.
Ukrainian Refugees - have you recently come to the UK? please see the links below for information as to how the NHS works, please do not hesitate to contact the practice for more information.
English:How the NHS works
Ukrain: How the NHS works
Russian: How the NHS works
Accessing your Medical Records
GP records include information about your medicine, allergies, vaccinations, previous illnesses and test results, hospital discharge summaries, appointment letters and referral letters.
Subject Access Requests
The General Data Protection Regulations give you the statutory right of access to any information, manual (paper) or computerised.
You do not have to give a reason for applying for access to your General Practice records. If you do not need access to your entire records, it would be helpful if you would inform us of the periods and parts of your health records that you require, along with details which you may feel have relevance (e.g. Clinic type, location, dates)
Requests for access to Medical Records should be made to the practice in writing where possible or call into the practice for a form. The Practice will deal with your request as quickly as possible. The information should be available to you within 28 days of receipt of your accurately completed form and confirmation of consent. Under certain circumstances, this period can be extended to 3 months but we will keep you informed of the progress of your request during this extended period.
We will not make a charge for the first request for access to your medical records. We may, however, charge for subsequent requests and if we deem that the volume of information requested is excessive. You have the right to simply view your records (i.e. not receive a copy in a permanent form).
Online Access
You can register to view your electronic medical record as well as book appointments (currently unavailable due to the ongoing pandemic) and manage your prescriptions online. To get access you will need to bring proof of ID to the practice, 1x photo ID and 1 x address ID (we ask that you do this in person as we will not give your account details to anyone else)
Cancer
Do you have Questions around Cancer? If so Sherwood Forest Hospital Trust in Partnership with Macmillan have opened a Macmillan Cancer Information and support Centre. Please use the link below for more information:
Sherwood Forest Hospitals (sfh-tr.nhs.uk)
Mental Health Awareness
Every Mind Matters has a range or tools to help you manage anxiety, boost your mood and sleep better. Click here https://www.nhs.uk/every-mind-matters/
Loneliness:
It’s ok to feel lonely, particularly at a time like this. Don’t suffer in silence, we can all help each other stay connected, visit https://www.nhs.uk/every-mind-matters/lifes-challenges/loneliness/ for advice and support.
Carer Information:
Help for Carers
Please click on below help for information available to you:
Carers Poster
Access to virtual support:
Prescription Ordering
You can order your repeat prescription in a variety of ways by brining it in by hand/post and putting it in our box on reception, you can order it on line either through our 'contact us' page above or sign up to 'on line services' on the tab at the top of the page. We can then send it directly to your nominated pharmacy or you can collect the prescription at our reception desk. Most chemists also offer to order and collect your prescriptions each month also and most deliver medication too. Please leave up to 72 hours for the turn around from when you order your prescription.
Repeat Dispensing
Electronic Repeat dispensing is an option for some patients who we deem suitable on stable regular medication. . For more information on Electronic Repeat Dispensing please visit this link - https://psnc.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/eRepeat-Dispensing-leaflet.pdf
Asthmatics
We have been made aware of some posts on social media saying that if you have a respiratory/lung condition, your GP will issue a rescue pack of steroids and antibiotics.
For people with asthma, it is not recommended as standard management. If someone's asthma is bad enough to consider steroids they should be assessed by a health care professional.
Further information can be found on https://www.asthma.org.uk/
Rescue packs may be part of the agreed management plan for some people with COPD. If you NORMALLY have a rescue pack to treat your lung condition its a good idea to check that you have one.
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Complete our latest Survey Click here
Try the new NHS App
If you’re a patient at our practice you can now use the new NHS App, a simple and secure way to access a range of NHS services on your smartphone or tablet.
You can use the NHS App to check your symptoms and get instant advice, book appointments, order repeat prescriptions, view your GP medical record and more.
If you already use Systmonline you can continue to use it. You can use the NHS App as well.
For more information go to www.nhs.uk/nhsapp'
And in other news at the practice ……….
Our new GP Registrars (Doctors in training to be GPs) this quarter are:
Dr D Olayemi (M)
Dr M Tageldin (M)
CQC Report
(Site updated 27/06/2022)