Appointments

Our Practice operates an appointment system and appointments can be made by telephoning or calling in to the surgery.

Appointments can be booked up to 3 months in advance.

When you book an appointment you are normally given a 10 minute appointment. The doctor or nurse may ask you to book a double appointment so this will enable them to spend more time discussing your problem or condition and is nothing to worry about.

When you book your appointment if is for you to see the doctor so please do not ask for a friend or relative to be seen at the same time as we will have to refuse.

Urgent Appointments

Urgent appointments with a doctor can be made for the same day but may not be with the doctor of your choice and may mean waiting until the end of the surgery until a doctor is available. When you ask for an urgent appointment, please be prepared for the receptionist to ask you some brief details of the problem as instructed to them by the GP, to determine the degree of urgency and the most appropriate response. Requests for urgent appointments may be assessed first by a GP at times of high demand. These are released at 8am every morning.

Telephone Calls

The doctors and nurses are available to speak to over the phone. If you want to speak to the doctor or nurse please check with the receptionist to arrange the most suitable time. 

Chaperone – for both male and female patients

If you would like a chaperone to be present during any examination please let the doctor or nurse know and if possible please tell the receptionist at the time of booking your appointment.

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.

Missed Appointments

Due to the number of patients failing to attend their appointments this may mean that you may not be able to see the doctor on the day that you wish to.

In an attempt to try and resolve this the practice has developed the following policy:

If you fail to attend appointments without informing us we will write to you asking if there are any specific problems preventing you from letting us know. If you repeatedly fail to attend for appointments you may be removed from the practice list and have to find an alternative GP practice.

Home Visits

If possible please try to telephone reception before 10:30 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.

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.

Tests & Results

During your consultation with the doctor or nurse they may suggest that you have a blood test, urine test or X-ray.

Blood Tests

Blood tests can be done either at the surgery or at Furness General Hospital. If you would like to come for your blood test at the surgery you will need an appointment that can be booked at our reception desk.

The receptionist will ask you if the test is fasting and if it is she will do her best to book you an appointment for early in the morning so you do not have to fast for to long. Please give your blood test form if you have one to the receptionist who will keep it safe until your appointment.

If the test is fasting you will need to have nothing to eat or drink except plenty of water (to keep you hydrated) for 12 hours before your appointment.

If you would like to go to Furness General Hospital for your blood test you will need to go at a certain time – which has bee allocated to our practice:

For Fasting Tests - 9.00am to 10.00am – Friday morning ONLY

Routine Tests – 12noon to 4.30pm Monday to Friday

Stool Tests

If you are asked to do a stool test you will be given a container and a form with a plastic bag attached. Please ensure your name in on the container before you use it and place the sample in the plastic bag attached to the form. The stool specimen can be taken directly to the Path Lab at Furness General Hospital or it can be left at the surgery before 2.00pm Monday to Friday and we will send it to the Hospital.

Urine Tests

If you are asked to do a urine test you will be given a container and a form with a plastic bag attached. Please ensure your name in on the container before you use it (please make sure the specimen container is dry on the outside before you put it in the plastic bag attached to the form as the Lab sometimes think the container has leaked and they will not do the test.) The urine specimen can be taken directly to the Path Lab at Furness General Hospital or it can be left at the surgery before 2.00pm Monday to Friday and we will send it to the Hospital. If you are asked to get a urine sample from a baby or young child it is possible to purchase urine collection nappies from the Pharmacy. These are called Newcastle urine collection pads.

X-rays

If the doctor recommends that you have an X-ray or a scan – they will advise you if you can go directly to the X-ray department and will give you the form to take.

Some procedures are by appointment only, the doctor will send the form to the hospital and you will receive an appointment in the post.

Results

It is your responsibility to contact the surgery for the result of your recent test.

Please contact the surgery for the result:-

• Blood tests – 3 days after the test
• Urine tests – 3 days after sending sample
• Stool tests – 3 to 5 days
• Smear tests – 3 weeks after the test
• X-rays – 1 week after procedure

Samples sent for biopsy can take a few weeks please phone after 2 weeks and the receptionist will give you the result if we have it.

Please note that we give results out after 1pm. This gives the results time to come back and for the Doctor to leave a comment on them. It also helps to free the phone lines in the mornings for other urgent/routine problems.