Appointments

An appointment may be made by calling at the surgery or by telephoning:

• Ardleigh Green Surgery - 01708 476455
• Gubbins Lane Surgery - 01708 346666
• You MUST telephone the surgery at which you are registered.

Lines are open between 9:00. and 13:00 Monday to Friday, between 17:00 and 18:30 Monday and Friday and between 16:00 and 17:30 Tuesday and Wednesday.  Please note that on one Tuesday afternoon per month, the surgery will be closed as clinical staff have to attend meetings arranged by our CCG.  On those days the surgery will be closed.

If you cannot keep an appointment, please let us know so that another patient can make use of it.

We prefer children to be accompanied by a parent or guardian.

Due to time constraints the doctors have only 10 minutes in which to discuss your presenting complaint.  Please help the doctor to use time efficiently and effectively.  During an appointment, doctors will generally only deal with ONE problem.  However, if you have more than one problem you may make a double appointment.

Havering Access Hub

Please note:  Book on the day appointments are only available for emergencies.  If you need to be seen on the day and you do not have any emergency we can offer a same day appointment to patients who feel they cannot wait until the next morning with a GP at the Havering Access Hub.

The Hub is based at North Street Medical Centre and is proving to be a very efficient well run service. All consultations are reported back to us, so that patient clinical notes are kept up-to-date.

Appointments have to be booked via NHS 111.

Please note this is not a Walk-in service.

Speaking To A doctor

The best time to talk to a doctor is after morning surgery, which is usually after 11.30.  However, it is easier for the doctor to have your medical records available, so if they are at the other surgery site, you may be asked to ‘phone back at another time.

Disabled Facilities

There is access for the disabled at both surgeries

HOME VISITS POLICY

The Green Wood Practice

Home Visit service is provided for patients who are too ill to attend the surgery, are undergoing palliative care or are truly housebound for whom travel by car would cause a significant deterioration in their medical condition.

It is considered that the patients may be better assessed and may be treated more rapidly and effectively by attending the surgery, rather than waiting for a doctor to visit them at home. They will be seen in a more appropriate environment where necessary facilities are available for examination, requesting investigations and facilitating referrals if required.

Guidelines for patients:

Patients are advised to contact surgery before 11 am on the day to request a home visit if needed. This gives the doctors an opportunity to plan their time efficiently.

A brief history of your complaints will be obtained by the receptionist and will be passed over to the doctors. The doctors will then decide if your request for a home visit is appropriate. If not, they can give telephonic advice or request you to attend surgery on the day.

Transport problems:

According to NHS guidelines transport problems are not an acceptable reason for requesting a home visit. We expect patients to try their best to attend the surgery on their own. You can consider using a Taxi, Dial a Ride, London Taxi Card or request relative/friend or neighbour to bring you to the surgery.

GP visit not appropriate:

Home visits should not be requested for common colds, cough, earache and headache.  

Home visit should not be requested for common childhood problems.

In the event of symptoms of Heart Attack (chest pain)/Stroke please call 999 for an ambulance to get you to the hospital as soon as possible.

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)

We offer additional Emegency slots which are available each morning and afternoon at the end of each surgery.

• Please telephone the Appointment Line in the morning when surgery opens for bookable emergency appointments available in the morning.
• Please telephone the Appointment Line in the afternoon when the surgery opens for bookable emergency appointments available in the afternoon.

You will be advised by our reception team when the emergency appointments are full and given a number to the Hub where you can telephone and obtain an appointment the same day.  Please check our Home page on this website for further information about the Hub.  (under the header 'useful information').

Urgent GP appointments – Urgent, same day, bookable appointments are available every day at GP hubs across the borough between 6.30pm and 10pm on weekdays, and between 8am and 8pm on Sundays. To find out more on urgent GP appointments call NHS 111 or 020 3770 1888 to book an appointment.

So that everyone can get the treatment and advice they need, it’s important to remember that A&E should only be used by people with serious or life-threatening health problems requiring emergency treatment.

Emergency Ambulance

Should I call for an Ambulance?

RING 999 for an Ambulance if you answer YES To any of the questions below:

Severe chest pain:

• Is the patient unconscious?
• Has the patient got a history of heart problems?
• Is the pain a crushing pain like a band around the chest?
• Is the pain moving into the jaw or arms?
• Does the patient feel sick?
• Is the patient sweating or clammy?
• Is the patient having breathing difficulties?

Unconscious:

• Is the patient unconscious?

Semi-conscious (or 'floppy' baby or child):

• Is the patient semi-conscious or floppy with any other of the following symptoms
• Difficult to wake? Stiff neck? Severe headache? Child with a high pitched whimpering cry? Purple or blood coloured rash? Photo-phobic?
• Is the patient a diabetic? Is the patient having breathing difficulties?
• Is the patient having chest pains?
• Has the patient got a history of heart problems?

Overdose and Semi-conscious:

• Is the patient unconscious or very drowsy?
• Is the patient having breathing difficulties?

Overdose and fully conscious:

• Is the patient having breathing difficulties?
• Is the patient a danger to himself?
• Is the patient a danger to others?

Severe breathlessness or collapse:

• Is the patient unconscious?
• Is the patient semi-conscious?
• Is the patient having breathing difficulties?
• Has the patient received a crushing or penetrating injury to head, neck, chest, abdo or thigh?
• Is the bleeding uncontrollable?

Serious head injury / Road accident:

• Is the patient unconscious?
• Is the patient having breathing difficulties?
• Is the patient fitting?
• Has the patient received a crushing or penetrating injury to head, neck, chest, abdo or thigh?

Epilepsy / Fitting:

• Is the patient still fitting? Is this the patient's first fit?
• Has the patient received a serious injury to the head?