OUR PRACTICE

PRACTICE TEAM
We have two receptionists and a Practice Manager. They book appointments and visits, prepare repeat prescriptions, organise and carry out a variety of other duties. They have to try to keep patients and the doctor happy, often under difficult circumstances, and maintain the ability to be friendly and helpful at all times. They are also strictly bound by the rules of confidentiality that apply to us all. The Practice Team is available to answer telephone calls between 9am and 6pm.

PRACTICE NURSE
Our Practice Nurse is available every day except Wednesday. She helps to run Well Woman, Asthma, Diabetic, Heart Disease, COPD, Hypertension and Flu Vaccine clinics. Appointments to see the Practice Nurse can be made at reception. To contact the Practice Nurse by telephone, leave a message at reception which will be forwarded to the nurse who will then contact you as soon as possible.

TREATMENT ROOM NURSE
Our treatment room nurse performs dressings, blood tests, immunisations, etc., and is the first line of contact for all accidents and emergencies. The treatment room is open Monday to Friday between the hours of 9.00am – 1.00pm & 2.00pm – 5.00pm. No appointment is necessary. To contact the nurse by telephone, telephone the Health Centre and your call will be transferred.

DISTRICT NURSE
The District Nurse is available to visit patients following hospital treatment or as required by the GP. For access telephone the Health Centre and a message will be left in the District Nurse book. The District Nurse will return your call as soon as possible.

APPOINTMENT SYSTEM
The practice operates an appointment system. Appointments can be made at reception, by telephoning or by calling in person. Similarly, appointments for our Nurse Practitioner and midwife can be made at reception.
Urgent probloms will always be seen on the day.

TELEPHONE ADVICE / HOME VISITS
All telephone enquiries are dealt with at the end of each surgery, as often all that may be required is advice. We are happy to make home visits to patients who are too ill or too frail to attend surgery. Because home visits take so much time, we would appreciate, if possible, that patients attend the surgery, where they can be examined much more thoroughly and have urgent investigations performed.

Please be prepared to give some information about your condition to the receptionist to allow the doctor to judge the urgency of the call. Requests for Home Visits should be made before 10.30am.

PRACTICE AREA
Visits will only be made by GPs if the patient is within a 10 mile radius of the surgery.

HOW TO REGISTER WITH THE PRACTICE
Please bring your medical card to the surgery. All patients over the age of 5 will be offered a health check with the Practice Nurse. Medical treatment is available from the date of registration.
The practice does not discriminate on the grounds of race, gender, social class, age, religion, sexual orientation, appearence, disability or medical condition.

NEW BABIES
When you register the birth of your baby, you will receive a yellow card (Form HS 123). You should complete the card and leave it at the reception desk as soon as possible.

The Health Visitor will take over care of your baby when the midwife has completed her care i.e. on day 12 after delivery. She will carry out examinations on your baby both in your home and at the Health Centre. She will also assist at the immunisation clinics. The Health Visitor will carry out child health surveillance until your child is 5 years old.

You will receive an appointment either by phone or in the post. To contact the Health Visitor, phone the Health Centre and a message will be forwarded to the Health Visitor who will then contact you.

CHANGE OF PERSONAL DETAILS
If you change your name, address, telephone number or email address please let us know at reception as soon as possible, so we can update our computer records.

LESS-ABLED ACCESS
Our building has ramp facilities for disabled access. All facilities including toilets for the less-abled are at ground level.

OUT OF HOURS MEDICAL CARE
This practice has joined the Out of Hours Co-op, which is based beside the Mourne Country Hotel, Belfast Road, Newry. Patients who require urgent medical advice/treatment are asked to contact the surgery in the normal way by telephoning 30861226 or 30861286. Some details will be taken and you will then be contacted a short time later.

REPEAT PRESCRIPTIONS
Our practice operates a computerized repeat prescription service (monthly). These can be ordered by telephone, in person or by post. Patients are requested to ask for all their medications at the same time to avoid unnecessary work.

Patients on long term medication should see the doctor every 12 months, except patients who are over 75 and who are on more than four repeat medications should see the doctor every 6 months.

Please allow 24 hours from the time of ordering the prescription to the collection time.

TEST RESULTS
Please telephone between 11.00am and 1.00pm for the results of laboratory tests, x-rays etc. Information will not be given to any other person unless we have your permission.

(The majority of test results are available within 1 week).

SICKNESS CERTIFICATES
Apart from some exceptional circumstances, patients must attend the surgery in person for sickness certificates.

NON NHS / PRIVATE EXAMINATIONS
We are happy to undertake, by appointment, examinations and reports for insurance companies, solicitors, HGV/PSV, elderly drivers etc. Please note that this work falls outside NHS services and attracts a fee.

Patients are requested to check this charge at the time of booking an appointment.

ADDITIONAL SERVICES
Podiatry, Physiotherapy, Dietitics etc. can be accessed through referral by the GP. Once the referral is processed, an appointment will be sent to you.

PRACTICE AREA
Visits will only be made by GPs if the patient is within a 10 mile radius of the surgery.

ANTE-NATAL/POST-NATAL
Wednesday 11.00 am – 1.00 pm by appointment. The midwife and Doctor will be in attendance. Following delivery of your baby the midwife will call to your home until your baby is 12 days old for continuing Post-Natal care.

BABY CLINIC
There is a baby clinic on Monday afternoon between 2 pm and 4pm during which you can take your baby in to have him/her weighed and to discuss any other matters relating to your baby with the Health Visitor. This is a walk-in service.

WELL WOMAN CLINIC/CERVICAL SMEARS
The clinic offers advice on all matters relating to women’s health, especially on contraception, the menopause, HRT, breast examination and osteoporosis. These can all be discussed with the Doctor or Practice Nurse. We strongly recommend that all women between the age of 20 and 65 years and those younger who are sexually active have a cervical smear at least every 3 years.

We also recommend that women between 50 and 64 years avail of a 3 yearly mammogram.

PRACTICE COMMENTS
We are happy to receive constructive comments. However, if a complaint arises about our staff, you may bring this to the attention of a staff member or doctor, or by writing to the Practice Manager at our surgery address. We will take steps to establish the full facts pertaining to your complaint and you will be informed in writing of the outcome. A complaint's leaflet is available for your information.