Access to services provide
This page will give you information on the opening times of the practice, how you can make an appointment, the criteria for home visits, contact details for services outside of the normal opening hours and how you can register with the practice.
Opening Hours
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Monday
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8:30 – 6:00pm
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Tuesday
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8:30 – 6:00pm
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Wednesday
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8:30 – 6:00pm
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Thursday
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8:30 – 6:00pm
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Friday
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8:30 – 6:00pm
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Telephone access to the practice starts at 9:00am and finishes at 6:00pm. There is no routine telephone access between 12:30pm – 1:30pm, and during this time, patients are advised to telephone the emergency answering service on 01495 790334 if they are unable to wait until 1:30pm when access to the practice is available again. The surgery also closes its telephone lines on a Thursday afternoon from 12:30pm onwards. If a GP is needed in an emergency during this period, patients are again advised to telephone the emergency answering service on 01495 790334.
How to see your Doctor
Appointments, which are booked at 10 minute intervals, can be made either by calling in at the surgery or by telephoning during normal surgery hours. Always tell the receptionist if you feel you need to be seen urgently; every effort will be made to see you the same day. If you cannot attend your appointment, please let the surgery know. If you need to speak to a doctor for advice, please ring in the morning (before 11:00 am). The doctor will phone you back.
Every patient, requesting an appointment, will be offered one regardless of when they were last seen in the practice. During this appointment the GP will make inquiries and undertake examinations which will be appropriate to the consultation and circumstances. If the GP feels the consultation would be conducted better in the patients’ home, this service will be offered. Any patient under the age of 12 will be asked to be accompanied by an appropriate adult.
As a patient of the practice you are free to choose an appointment with any of the GPs, however, you should note that all the GPs work part time, so your preferred GP may not be available on a day which suits you best. You can put your preference of GP in writing, which the practice will keep a record of in your notes, and endeavour to comply with your request whenever possible.
If you are requesting a service with a GP of your choice, and this GP does not routinely perform the service in question, you will be offered an alternative appointment with another GP.
House Calls
These should only be requested for patients who, because of the nature of their illness, or other incapacities, are unable to attend the surgery. Requests for home visits can be made either via the telephone or by a representative of the patient attending surgery and giving the details. Anyone requesting for a home visit will be asked for the following information:
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Patients name & age.
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Address & telephone number.
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Nature of the illness.
To help the GPs prioritise their working day, we would prefer it if requests for home visits could be made to the surgery before 11:00am. This will also help to avoid disruption to the afternoons’ booked surgery.
Out of hours – emergencies only.
The GPs provide medical services to the community of Blaenavon from 8:00 am – 6:30pm Monday to Friday. Outside of these hours a service is provided by an Out of Hours team. If you telephone the surgery and it is closed, an answer machine will give you a number to call. The Out of Hours team will provide you with advice on your problem and may be able to advise you over the phone. If the team feels you need to be seen and you are fit enough to travel, they may ask you to attend one of the out-of-hours Treatment Centres. House calls will only be made to those who are unfit to travel.
Out Of Hours Telephone No. 0845 600 1231
NHS Direct: 0845 46 47 or www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk|
Registration
The practice will register any patient who is living within the practice boundary. To register the patient will need to call into the surgery to collect and complete the registration forms and processes. All new patients will be invited to have a health check with the practice nurse or HCA where details of past and current illnesses, along with any medication being taken are recorded.