Opening Times Regular Surgery Hours 8.30am – 6.30pm Monday to Friday Closed for training between 1.00 and 4.00pm on Wednesdays

Willesborough Health Centre Patient Information Booklet

We offer both pre-bookable and on the day appointments Same day appointments We offer a flexible same day appointment system offering patients a set appointment time for single urgent problems. We run a nurse-lead Urgent Care Clinic as well as same day appointments with the GP. Evening Appointments Available from 6.30pm to 8.00/8.15pm on Monday and Wednesday Booking appointments Phone: Our appointment line opens from 8.30am Online: All registered patients are eligible to use our online system to make pre-bookable GP appointments In person: at the Reception desk www.willesboroughhealthcentre.co.uk Switchboard 01233 621626 Our list is open to new patients

2016/17

Introduction Welcome to Willesborough Health Centre, our mission is to provide the highest quality health care available under the NHS to all our patients, in a courteous and professional manner. This brochure provides you with factual information about the Health Centre, the doctors, staff and the services we offer. The Centre was purpose built for our practice in 1992 and opened in February 1993. The ground floor has a reception, a waiting room, nine consulting rooms and 5 treatment areas. Wheelchair access is possible throughout the ground floor. A Lloyds chemist is situated in the building. The Health Centre has a car park for patients’ use and disabled parking area immediately by the front door. We ask you please do not smoke in the Health Centre or use mobile telephones. You can always find out more about our services by visiting our website:

www.willesboroughhealthcentre.co.uk We are always interested to hear what you think. One of the easiest ways to do this is by emailing us at:

[email protected]

Doctors DR AMIR NAKY Male · MBChB, MRCP(UK), DCH, MRCPCH, DFFP, MRCGP, Baghdad 1988 DR NAVIN KUMTA Male · MBBS, MRCP, MRCGP, Pune, India 1994 DR JAMES WONG Male · MBBS, MRCGP, BSc, DFFP, London 1999 DR RACHEL HODGKISS Female · MBChB, MRCGP, DRCOG, Liverpool 1998 DR NICHOLAS BENNETT Male · BSc, MBBS, MRCGP, DFFP, London 2001 Assisted by DR HELEN DANIEL Female - BSc, MRCGP, DRCOG, Bristol 2001 DR ASHNA PATEL Female - BSc, RM, MBBS, London 2015 DR RUTH FITCH Female - MB ChB MRCGP Dip Palliative Care Birmingham 1996

GP REGISTRAR

Willesborough is a Training Practice which means that we always have a Registrar with us for a period of 12-18 months. A GP Registrar is a fully qualified medical practitioner being trained in general practice under the tutelage of a GP trainer. Appointments are opened for the Registrar and these may be offered to you when you need to see a Doctor.

Practice Nurses LIZ ALI Senior Practice Nurse LORRAINE DRIVER Specialist Practitioner Nurse RGN LOUISE HURN Practice Nurse RGN YASMINE DAVIES Practice Nurse RGN SARAH WRIGHT Practice Nurse RGN

Appointments We offer both on the day and pre-bookable appointments (up to four weeks ahead).

Home Visits If you are too unwell to travel to the Health Centre please telephone before 10.00 am and give brief details of the problem so that we can plan our rounds. Please do not ask for a visit if you can come to the Surgery as even one unnecessary visit results in significant loss of available appointments. After 10.00 am we can only guarantee a visit the same day for urgent calls.

Telephone Advice

LISA MARSH HCA

If you wish to speak to the Doctor and they are not available at that time, the Receptionist may ask you to leave your number so that the Doctor can ring you back. Nurses are available between 12.00 noon and 12.30 pm to take telephone calls. If you are telephoning because you need the Doctor to visit you, please telephone before 10.00 am and let the receptionist know.

Management

Online Services

PHILIP BLAKE Practice Manager

Patients can book non-urgent GP appointments, order repeat medications and view their basic medical records using our online service – My Vision. To register please ask at reception.

CHARMAINE BLASKETT HCA

Centre Assembly Point which is located in the main patient car park. Please do not leave the assembly Point until the fire officer has identified you.

Out of Hours Our responsibilities to you For non-emergency assistance Dial 111. For emergencies Dial 999 In an emergency (suspected heart attack, severe breathing difficulties, severe bleeding, unconscious patient) dial 999 for an ambulance. When the Health Centre is closed our main switchboard number diverts directly to South East Health who provide An out-of-hours service. PLEASE DO NOT CALL SEH for non-urgent problems

Fire Evacuation In the event of fire please follow the instructions of the Health Centre staff and exit the premises calmly and promptly via the emergency exits which are identified by a green sign with white ‘EXIT’. Please ensure that you go straight to the Health

We are committed to giving you the best possible service. Apart from the services listed in this booklet, every effort will be made to update you on information which directly affects your health and care. There is a duty doctor in the Health Centre daily. Patients who have urgent problems will be seen on the same day whenever possible. Home visits will be arranged for those too ill or infirm to be brought to the surgery. Patients will be treated as individuals and partners in their health care, irrespective of their ethnic origin or religious and cultural beliefs. There will be no treatment given to you without your informed consent. Please ask questions if you are unsure or do not understand the information given to you. You have the right to see your health records, subject to limitations in the law. These will be kept confidential at all times.

Your responsibilities to us Please let us know if you change your name, address or telephone number. If you cannot keep an appointment let us know as soon as possible. We can then offer the time to another patient. Please only ask for home visits when the patient is too ill to visit the Health Centre. Please keep your telephone call brief

and avoid calling between 8.30 am and 11.00am if the matter is not urgent. Test results take time to reach us, so please do not ring before you have been asked to do so. We ask that you treat doctors and practice staff with courtesy and respect. There will be zero tolerance to cases of verbal or physical abuse.

eMail: [email protected], Online: Account set up required

Repeat Prescriptions

In person: Drop the form into the letterboxes at Reception or the outside wall when we are shut.

Patients are encouraged to register for our online system to order repeat prescriptions. A simple tick box is available which sends the request automatically to the Practice for processing. Alternatively the computer slip we give you with your prescription has a list of your medicines on it. When you need a repeat prescription tick the items you require and hand it in at the Health Centre. Medication can only be issued if it is detailed on the repeat prescription list. The prescription will normally be ready for collection after two working days (48 working hours) The Doctor will still wish to see you at intervals to monitor your progress and modify your treatment as necessary. Prescriptions can be sent direct to certain chemists and this may be more convenient for patients, especially if they require collection on a Saturday morning when the Health Centre is closed. Please contact Reception for details. We do not take repeat prescription requests by telephone in order to avoid errors, but they can also be sent in any of the following ways: Fax: 01233 622930

Post: Willesborough Health Centre, Bentley Road, Willesborough, Ashford, TN24 0HZ (please enclose a SAE)

Please give details of your name, address and date of birth when faxing or e-mailing your repeat prescription request. If you wish the repeat prescription to be delivered to a local pharmacy, please indicate this on your fax or email. If, for exceptional circumstances, i.e. holiday etc, you require additional medicines, please advise us in writing and we will endeavour to prescribe this for you.

Test Results Test results are available over the phone between 9.00 am and 12.00 noon. The Doctor can advise when the result of tests should be ready. In the interest of safety it is the responsibility of the patient or carer to obtain the results of any tests, together with any follow-up that may be required. In the interests of patient confidentiality, test results for patients over the age of 16 years will not be given to a third party unless the Practice has written authorisation from the patient.

Complaints and Suggestions

Change of Address

If you feel our service has been inadequate or have any suggestions for improvement of the service, we invite you to discuss them with our Business Manager. The Health Centre has an established in-house practice based complaints procedure and all grievances will be dealt with considerately and in confidence. We trust that these incidents are rare but we do assure patients, relatives or carers that there will be no discrimination by our doctors or staff against anyone who finds the need to complain.

If you change your name, address or telephone number, please let our receptionists know by calling or writing to us. Kent Primary Care Agency may remove your name from our list if we do not have your correct contact details. In an emergency this information may be vital. If you move outside the practice area you may need to find a doctor in your new area. There are instructions on what to do when you move to a new area on the back of your NHS medical card.

Patient Participation Forum

Patients over 75

All patients are welcome to join our forum which meets at the Practice once every two months. Whether you wish to ask about specific services, make suggestions or find out about developments in health care provision within the wider Ashford locality the forum offers you the opportunity. If you are interested in attending please ask at Reception for details.

If you are over 75 and have not been seen in the Practice for over a year you will be offered a medical review at your next appointment. This also applies to patients between 16 and 75 who have not had an appointment for the last three years.

Minor Injuries The Practice offers a minor injury service to for injuries arising in the previous 48 hours. The service is offered to all patients. Please ring the surgery before attending to have your injury triaged in the Practice

Our clinics and specialist services ANTI-COAGULATION (ACC) ANTE-NATAL ASTHMA BABY AND YOUNG CHILDREN CERVICAL SMEARS CHRONIC HEART DISEASE/ HYPERTENSION TRAVEL DIABETES IMMUNISATION CHRONIC OBSTRUCTIVE PULMONARY DISEASE (COPD) FAMILY PLANNING INFLUENZA VACCINATION MINOR OPERATIONS PNEUMOCOCCAL VACCINATION, including for travel

For more details on any of these services please ask at reception or visit our website;

Contacting the Practice by telephone Our phone lines are open from 8.00am with appointments taken from 8.30am. Our lines close at 6.30pm after which our main number diverts to South East Health for out of hours care. Our telephone system asks callers to choose an option depending on whether they are a patient and if so which service they require (appointment, results, prescriptions etc.) At busy times you will be held in a queue until a receptionist becomes available. We tend to be very busy when the lines first open in the morning with patients wanting to book on the day appointments. If you need an urgent appointment please stay on the line and your call will be answered.

www.willesboroughhealthcentre.co.uk

Booking online

Freedom of Information, Publication Scheme

Registered patients can book appointments using our online system. Just ask at Reception for your user details to set up your account. This allows you to make pre-bookable appointments to see the GP.

The Freedom of Information Act 2000 obliges the practice to produce a publication scheme, which is a guide to the ‘classes’ of information the Health Centre intend to routinely make available. The scheme is available from reception.

Our Switchboard number is 01233 621626

Useful Contact Telephone Numbers Emergencies Ashford Clinical Commissioning Group William Harvey Hospital District Nurse Lloyds Pharmacy Out of Hours NHS 111 Kent & Cant. Hospital QEQM Hospital, Margate Maidstone Hospital The Chaucer Hospital St Saviour’s Hospital Paula Carr Pilgrims Hospice (Cant) Pilgrims Hospice (A’ford) Primary Care Agency Social Services Citizens Advice Bureau Bereavement Counselling Vicarage Lane Clinic The Samaritans

999 01233 658432 01233 633331 01233 646630 01233 621635 01233 621626 111 01227 766877 01843 225544 01622 729000 01227 455466 01303 265581 01233 616047 01227 457766 01233 504100 01622 655000 0845 3302967 01233 626185 01233 625549 01233 204100 01233 610000

Chaperone The Health Centre is committed to providing a safe, comfortable environment where patients and staff can be confident that best practice is being followed. All patients are entitled to have a trained chaperone present for any consultation, examination or procedure where they feel one is required. Patients can have a family member or friend for support if they wish. The Doctor or Nurse may also require a chaperone to be present for certain consultations, in accordance with our Chaperone Policy.

Non-NHS Services The NHS does not pay for some of the services we provide. These include private sick notes, insurance forms, holiday cancellation forms, medical reports, fitness to travel certificates, private prescriptions, passport signing and some vaccination services. Our fees for these services are in line with BMA approved national guidelines.

Complaints The Practices operated a formal procedure for dealing with complaints. A copy of this procedure is available from reception and via our website.

Carers If you provide personal or domestic care, or emotional support for a family member, neighbour or friend, you may be classed as a ‘Carer’ within the Government’s guideline. Please let a member of staff know if you are a carer.