| Contacting a Doctor |
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Practice
Opening Hours |
Sevenoaks Practice Hours Monday to Friday Opening Hours are 8.30am to 6.30pm The Practice is Closed from 12.30pm to 2.00pm. The Practice is closed at all other times and "Out of Hours Services" apply. Brasted Practice Hours
The Practice is Closed from 12.30pm to 2.30pm. The Practice is closed at all other times, thought contact with the Sevenoaks Practice may be possible. If both Practices are closed, then "Out of Hours Services" apply. |
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| Appointments
with a Doctor |
An Appointment with a Doctor... how to book Phone or call in at your Practice and they will advise you of when a Doctor's Appointment is available. A routine appointment is ten minutes and can be made up to 4 weeks in advance. It may not always be possible to see the doctor of your choice. For really urgent problems that genuinely cannot wait you may be offered advice from a Health Professional. You may be offered an appointment, for one urgent problem only, with a doctor, who may or may not be your own doctor. You may also be offered the opportunity to have a Priority Assessment and Help from a Specialist Nurse. This is often an excellent way to see a Health Professional fast. Cancelling an Appointment Important If you can't use your appointment or don't need it any more, please contact us as soon as you can.
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| Advice
from a Doctor by Telephone |
When is a Doctor available for Telephone Advice The times that doctors take phone calls are...
Remember that a call with a Practice Nurse may be better for a semi-urgent health matter, and a call with your doctor's secretary might be just as valuable when requiring administrative information or test results. For Information on Doctors Secretaries and how to contact them go to
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| Contacting
a Doctor by Email |
How to contact a Doctor using the Practice Email System By using the Email Contact Link below you will be sent an email that gives you the contact details for your Doctor. In almost all cases this will be read by your doctor's medical secretary. Please be aware that the reply will be sent to the email that you fill in the the following form. If you are concerned that the reply may contain confidential personal information you should consider another means of communication. By opening your communication by email, we assume that it is acceptable to reply to that address on confidential matters. If you do not receive a reply within a reasonable time scale, please feel free to send an email reminder or contact the practice by phone. Do not expect your email address to be formally held on record beyond the time scale of the event that you contacted us about.
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| Priority
Assessment and Help from a Specialist Nurse |
Priority Assessment and How a Specialist Nurse can help you. The new breed of Practice Nurse can often help you more quickly than a doctor. Specialist Nurses are all highly trained and experienced Health Professionals. The practice has devised protocols to which the nurses all work and which give them access to patient records and Practice Intranet. Communication between the nurses and doctors is excellent and the doctors are readily available to offer additional advice when needed. There is always a doctor on call if the individual patient's doctor is unavailable. Seeing a Specialist Nurse is often the best way of having your condition assessed quickly by a Health Professional. Some Specialist Nurses are qualified to prescribe some medicines as and when required. For more information on the Practice Nurses and their increasing roll in a modern medical practice go to
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| Requesting
a Home Visit |
Home Visits... How to Request Whenever possible please try and come to one of the health centres. However if you do need a visit because you are seriously ill or housebound kindly telephone before 10.30am and be prepared to give a brief outline of the problem so that the doctor can plan his visits appropriately. Please make it clear as to whether the home visit is Routine, Urgent or an Emergency. Sometimes a word with the doctor on the phone can solve the problem and make a visit unnecessary. Home visits are made at the doctor's discretion. |
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| Getting
Out of Hours Help |
Getting Out of Hours Help by Phone For Out of Hours Local Support dial 01732 459255 This will connect you to the South West Kent Primary Care Trust Out of Hours Services. By calling this Service you will have access to • First Contact Medical Help and Advice. • Information and Advice on how to attend a Local Primary Care Centre or Hospital. • Access to a Health Professional who can ask a Doctor to consider visiting you at home. This service is provided by On Call Care. Their website is www.oncallcare.co.uk Getting Out of Hours Help from NHS Direct NHS Direct is a 24hrs 7 days a week service. Telephone Advice on 0845 4647 Internet on www.nhs.uk Local Services Search on www.nhs.uk/england The Local Services Search is very powerful, and will find you hospitals and many other important resources. |
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| Doctor's
Certificates |
Sickness Certificates for work You do not require a doctor’s certificate for any illness lasting seven working days (Sundays excluded) or less. However your employer may require you to complete and a ‘Self Certificate’ (SC1) which you can obtain either from your employer or local DSS Office. If your employer insists on a private certificate you will usually be charged (as recommended by the BMA and LMC) but you should be able to get a refund from your employer (ask them first!). After the seventh day you will need a doctor’s certificate (Med3) and you need to be seen in person by your doctor. Claim forms for private health insurance Claim forms for receiving benefit or reimbursement for private health insurance with BUPA/PPP etc. will be completed by your GP for you to collect but are charged at BMA recommended rates. Notes on Claiming It is essential that you see or at least speak to your GP before you arrange private physiotherapy (or similar treatment). Your claim for reimbursement through your private health insurance will not be valid unless you have prior GP authorisation. GPs cannot sign claim forms which state that they authorised treatment when they did not do so beforehand. Please send in a cheque at the time that you send us your claim form, otherwise you will be charged extra if you wish us to return the form direct. Other Certificates Certificates for HGV/PSV licences and for various sporting bodies, such as for a shotgun license & for Scuba diving can be completed. A fee is chargeable, payable at the time, for these items at BMA recommended rates. Please make clear to the receptionist which forms you need completing. Important Please note that when a Medical Examination is necessary you should refer to
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| Getting
Test Results |
How to get your Test Results and what to do next Getting your Test Results is important to you, but you must normally wait 5 days for them to reach us. Your Doctor's Secretary will be able to tell you if your test is normal. Please try and contact the Practice Secretaries only between 11.00am – 12.30pm and 2.30pm – 4.00pm. If your result is abnormal the secretary may be able to give you an outline of the problem. She will also be able to advise you on how to follow this up with your Doctor with either an appointment or a time to telephone your GP. For Information on Doctors Secretaries and how to contact them go to
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