MEDICAL CENTRE HOURS

The Medical Centre is open from 8.30am to 6.30pm Monday to Friday except for Wednesdays when we close at midday.  We are also open Saturday mornings between 9.00am-11.45 midday, except during Public Holiday weekends.  Enquiries can be made and prescriptions ordered/collected during these hours, but we would appreciate it if you would avoid the hour between 1.00pm and 2.00pm as we have limited staff available.

 

Urgent Problems

We suggest that patients attend the open access morning surgeries.  A limited number of afternoon appointments are reserved for urgent problems and can be booked on the day.

 

No appointment is needed to see the Doctor on weekday mornings - Monday to Friday.  Patients are seen in the order in which they arrive and may usually see the doctor of their choice if they express a preference.  To help make this system work we would like to raise these points and thank you for your co-operation:

¨ Monday morning and Friday evening surgeries can be quite busy.  When convenient, for non urgent problems, it would be helpful if you attend at alternative consulting times.

¨ You may wish to take advantage of our option to “book-in” and return later in the morning, closer to the time you will be seen.  Please ask the receptionist about this when you arrive.

¨ Patients should try to see the same doctor for an on-going illness, but for a minor illness should see the doctor with the least patients waiting.

¨ Patients attending near the end of a surgery, or if a doctor is particularly busy, may be asked to see the doctor with the shortest list in order to avoid excessive waiting times.

 

Prebooked  Appointments can be made up to 6 weeks in advance for Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday afternoons and now for Saturday morning (please note there is no practice nurse on Saturday mornings which will mean we cannot offer our full range of services).

From the end of September 2009, you are able to book appointments online if you have registered for this service with the practice. 

 

Consultation Duration

Approximately 10 – 12 minutes is allocated per consultation.  If you attend with a list of problems please be realistic as to what can be covered in this time as we also have to document the consultation.

 

If you have an appointment we ask you to ensure that you keep it, or cancel in good time, so that it can be re-allocated.

 

As you would expect everyone working at the Medical Centre to treat you courteously, appropriately and fairly, we also expect this of our patients and if someone is rude or abusive to any member of the Medical Centre, they may be removed from our list.

 

HOME VISITS

These are available for those who are too unwell, disabled or frail to attend the Medical Centre.  Whenever possible please request home visits before 10.30am so we can plan our house calls.  The receptionist will ask for some details about the nature of the problem in order for the Doctors to prioritise calls.

 

Patients can be examined more thoroughly, computer records fully accessed and further investigations carried out when required in the Medical Centre so please make every effort to keep home visit requests for genuine reasons, not for convenience or because of transport difficulties.  It is safe to bring children with temperatures or a rash to the Medical Centre but please inform the receptionist on arrival.  Remember a Doctor can see several patients in the Medical Centre in the time it takes to do one home visit.

 

EMERGENCIES / OUT OF HOURS

Central and Eastern Cheshire Primary Care Trust is now responsible for providing healthcare/advice to patients with emergency medical problems occurring between 6.30pm and 8am Monday to Friday and all weekend from 6.30pm Friday until 8am Monday morning.  The service is called N.E.W (Nights, Evenings and Weekends) and is based in the grounds of Leighton Hospital.  A leaflet is available giving details of the service and how it operates.  If you need medical advice during these hours then please telephone 01270 273666 directly (calls are recorded).  You can still telephone the Medical Centre, where a recorded message will give you the same number and a number to telephone for emergencies from 8am-8.30am Monday - Friday morning and 12noon - 6.30pm Wednesday afternoon when the Medical Centre is closed.

 

The nearest NHS walk-in centre is at Stoke-on-Trent (Haywood Hospital), High Lane, Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent, ST6 7AG.  Opening hours- weekdays 7am-10pm, weekends and Bank holidays 9am-10pm.  Tel 01782 – 581112.  Further information is available on the internet at www.nhs.uk, or http://www.nhs.uk/servicedirectories/Pages/ServiceSearch.aspx

Merepark Medical Centre