Please note: If you wish to book appointments or request repeat medication online you will need to come into the surgery with 2 forms of ID to be given access to SystmOnline.

Appointments

To make an appointment for any of the services offered please phone the surgery on 01924 767282 or call in. Urgent conditions will be seen the same day. Please tell the receptionist if you feel this is necessary.

At the request of the doctors when booking an appointment either in person or by telephone, you may be asked for a brief reason for the appointment. This is to enable us to ensure that you are given an appointment with a suitable clinician within an appropriate amount of time.

Telephone Advice

If you need telephone advice you can ring at any time to talk to any of the clinicians and/or obtain a telephone appointment.

Waiting Times

Surgeries will normally start on time

We expect patients to be seen within twenty minutes of their appointment time and in the event of a delay we will offer an explanation.

When a doctor is called away on an emergency we will inform the patients and give them the opportunity to book an alternative appointment, or if preferred, to be seen by another doctor.

Should we not be able to meet your appointment need we will endeavour to meet your appointment needs but when the surgery cannot offer an appointment at your convenience or is closed there is the Walk in Centre, based in the grounds of Dewsbury District Hospital. It is run by Nurse Practitioners who can diagnose and prescribe. Appointments are not required and the centre is open between 09:00 and 19:00 Monday to Friday; Saturday and Sunday between 10:00 and 16:00.

Evening and Saturday Appointments 

Our practice is working together with other local GP surgeries to offer pre-bookable and on-the-day appointments at times to suit your needs. Appointments are now available until 8pm on weekdays, and between 9am and 5pm on Saturdays.

You can see a GP, advanced nurse practitioner, clinical pharmacist, physiotherapist or other health professional.  Some appointments may be provided at a nearby GP surgery or hub rather than your local practice. 

Please ask our reception team for details . 

Chaperones

Should you require a third person present during your consultation you can have a friend with you or ask for a staff member to be present who has had chaperone training.

Cancellations/Missed Appointments

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. cancellation line 01924 767284

Due to the number of patients failing to attend for their appointment 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

Whilst we encourage our patients to come to the surgery, where we have the proper equipment and facilities available, we do appreciate this is not always possible. In this respect, if you do need a home visit, you can help us by calling reception before 11:30.

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. Please bear this in mind and be prepared to provide suitable details to enable the doctor to schedule house calls

You can also 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.

Sickness Certificates

You do not require a doctor's sickness certificate for any illness lasting seven days or less. Your employer may however require you to complete a self-certification form (SC2) which is available from your employer or on the HMRC website.

Evidence that you are sick

If you are sick for more than seven days, your employer can ask you to give them some form of medical evidence to support payment of SSP (statutory sick pay).

It is up to your employer to decide whether you are incapable of work. A medical certificate, now called a 'Statement of Fitness for Work’ (see below) from your doctor is strong evidence that you are sick and would normally be accepted, unless there is evidence to prove otherwise.

You could also provide evidence from someone who is not a medical practitioner, e.g. a dentist. Your employer will decide whether or not this evidence is acceptable. If your employer has any doubts, they may still ask for a medical certificate from your GP.

Statement of Fitness for Work - ’Fit Note'

The 'fit note' was introduced on 6 April 2010. With your employer's support, the note will help you return to work sooner by providing more information about the effects of your illness or injury.

For more information see the DirectGov website (where this information was sourced).