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 before 11:00am.
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 may also be visited at home by a community nurse if you are referred by your GP and may 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.
Been off Work?
Sickness Certificates
A sick note is not required for the first 7 days of illness, if you require a sick note for less than 7 days, this will be a private note on which there is a charge.
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 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’ from your doctor is strong evidence that you are sick and would normally be accepted, unless there is evidence to prove otherwise.
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.
Missed Appointments (DNA’s)
Unfortunately for several reasons, each month there are numerous patients who do not attend their scheduled GP or Nurse appointment. This wastes a large amount of GP & Nurse time, but also prevents other patients from booking those appointments.
We ask all patients to please:
- To inform us if you cannot make the appointment.
- To contact the surgery if you are late rather than not attending, as the appointment can be cancelled or other arrangements may be able to be made.
- To keep appointments as much as possible.
- To inform the surgery of any issues, problems or complaints to enable them to be dealt with quickly.