REGISTERING AS A PATIENT

If you wish to register please attend the surgery or telephone with your request. If you have a Medical Card, it would be helpful if you could hand it in to us. You will be invited to have a health check-up with our practice nurse. Our services to you are in confidence, and you are free to have access to your own notes under the Access to Medical Records Act.

CHECK-UPS IF you are aged 16-74 and have not been seen in the last 3 years or aged 75 or over and not been seen in the last year, feel free to make an appointment for a routine check-up.

RIGHTS & RESPONSIBILITIES You are entitled to receive quality care in an atmosphere of mutual respect. If you are unable to keep an appointment, please notify us ASAP so that another person can take advantage of that free slot.

APPOINTMENTS AND HOME VISITS

Consultations are by appointment with a doctor of your choice. If you wish, you may be seen that day but with whichever doctor is available - you may be asked to wait. Consultations and home visits are obtained by ringing the surgery number or by attendance at the surgery. This covers urgent and non-urgent matters. You will be asked for details by the trained staff in order to ascertain the urgency of the need. For matters of dire emergency, you are advised to ring 999 and request an ambulance. House calls are best dealt with if the request is made before 11 am.

The out-of-hours care is provided by the Local Health Board. You may be asked to attend at the specially designed treatment centre next door to the casualty department of the Princess of Wales Hospital if at all possible. Please note that this is for matters that cannot wait until the next working day. You may wish to contact NHS Direct for advice - 0845 46 47 or www.nhsdirect.wales.nhs.uk 

THE SURGERY

The surgery was purpose-built in 1987 to provide up-to-date Primary Health Care. You are therefore encouraged to attend the surgery if at all possible to put yourself in a position to receive the full benefits. Home visits are reserved for housebound patients or those too ill to attend surgery. There is access for those who are disabled. If you have a disability please make this known to the staff when you register as a patient or at any time if you feel that you need assistance.

REPEAT PRESCRIPTIONS

Those on regular medication may receive a repeat prescription for those drugs by forwarding the white, right-hand side sheet of their repeat prescription by post, in person, or by a representative. To avoid excess and unnecessary prescribing, we ask you to tick beside whichever of the drugs you require on each occasion. Please note that 48 hours notice is normally needed for the request to be processed. If an SAE is enclosed, then your prescription will be sent by return.

TEST RESULTS

Please contact the surgery after 11.00 am for test results, when staff will be in a better position to help you. If necessary, you will be able to speak to one of the doctors about your results after that time.

COMPLAINTS

Please direct any to “The Senior Partner.” It is our policy to respond initially to any complaint within 48 hours and to give a full response within 14 days.

Any one of the partners would be happy to meet you to discuss positive or negative comments that you might wish to make, or to receive your letters if you would prefer to write.

GENERAL PRACTITIONERS IN TRAINING

The practice is involved in the training of young General Practitioners. These doctors are fully qualified and are under the supervision of the partners. From time to time, medical students are present in the practice as part of their training. If they are likely to be present during your consultation with the doctor, you will be advised of this and given an opportunity to see the doctor alone if you prefer.

SERVICES AVAILABLE

Special clinics are held for certain forms of heart and chest diseases and for diabetes. In general, the partners express no special interests, but are committed to whole-person, Primary Health Care to individuals as members of families. They believe that this is best served within the current framework of personal consultations where the facilities for primary management of the whole spectrum of your needs are available.

The LOCAL HEALTH BOARD may be contacted at:

North Court , David Street

Bridgend Industrial Estate, Bridgend, CF31 3TP

(Tel:01656-754400) www.bridgendlhb.wales.nhs.uk

The Community Health Council may be contacted at:

2nd Floor
Derwen House, 
Court Road, 
Bridgend  CF31 1BN.

(Tel:01656-657909) http://www.wales.nhs.uk/sites3/home.cfm?orgid=214