How to See Your Doctor

We are now offering a text messaging service which will send you a reminder of your appointment. If you would like to use this service please see Reception who will make sure we have your up to date mobile number.

We offer both face to face and telephone consultations with your doctor.

Please telephone the surgery (01273 688333) from 08:30 am (Monday to Friday) onwards.

Please note that any appointments made, wherever possible, will be with your usual doctor.

Please ask Reception for a telephone appointment, if you feel that this is most appropriate. We will take your telephone number and the doctor will call you back.

Some of our appointments can be now be booked in advance, up to 1 month ahead.

Please ask Reception for a “pre-bookable appointment” when you ring. These can also be booked using our online booking service once you have obtained the necessary access codes. Please ask at Reception for details.

If your query is urgent and all the on day appointments have been booked, the Receptionist may feel it appropriate to ask the triage doctor to call you back on that day and the doctor will decide if you need to be seen in an emergency appointment.  

Book and Cancel Appointments Online

In order to book or cancel your appointments online you must have previously obtained the necessary access codes. Please ask at Reception for details.

Cancellations

If you cannot attend an appointment for any reason, please inform us as soon as possible in order for us to give the appointment slot to someone else.

Extended Hours Appointments

We are also part of a pilot scheme which allows our patients to access GP and Nurse appointments outside of our usual opening times. These appointments need to be booked in advance through our Reception team, but are available every week day evening and on Saturday and Sunday. 

If you find it difficult to get to surgery during the normal opening hours and feel these appointments would help you please ask Reception for extended hours availability.

Telephoning the Surgery

Our phone lines are open from 8.30am until 1.00pm and again from 2.00pm until 6.00pm.

Between 8.00am and 8.30am, 1.00pm and 2.00pm, and 6.00pm and 6.30pm the lines are diverted to our answer machine, but if you have an emergency during this hour please ring and listen to the message and it will tell you what to do.

Please telephone, if at all possible, as early as you can for an appointment, after 10.30am for general enquiries and after 2pm for test results.

You can also speak directly to our Medical Secretary regarding existing referrals by selecting option '1' on the phone. If they are unavailable, please leave a voicemail with your name, date of birth, telephone number and brief reason for calling. They will then contact you when they are available to do so. 

Interpreting Services

If English is not your first language and you need an interpreter to accompany you to your consultation, please ring Sussex Interpreting Services (SIS) on 01273 702005.

Alternatively, contact the surgery and a Receptionist will be able to do this on your behalf.

British Sign Language interpreting service is also available. Please ask at Reception.

All interpreting services are provided free for all patients.

How to see the Practice Nurses

Holly is our practice nurses.

Nurses provide a wide range of services.

These include:

Asthma and COPD clinics, Diabetic clinics, Coronary heart disease monitoring, smear tests, ear syringing, family planning checks and advice, travel advice and immunisations, wound-care and dressings, removal of stitches, and confidential advice for teenagers.

The receptionists will ask you which service you require when you book, to ensure that you are booked in with the most appropriate nurse.

Click here for more information on clinics

Cancellation of nurse appointments

For extended nurse appointments (20-50 minutes) we require at least 2 working days notice. These appointments are with a specialist nurse and are difficult to rebook with another patients at short notice & we have a limited capacity we are able to offer.  For this reason if a patient does not provide the requested notice we will send a warning letter if no (adequate reason is evidenced) and this warning will remain on your patient record. Repeat offenders may be asked to register with another surgery.

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 10:00.

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)

Teaching & Training

We have Medical students from Brighton & Sussex Medical School attached to the practice in term time.

Dr Turlini will be teaching them. As part of their training, our students must gain practical experience in the treatment and care of patients.

The practice benefits from its teaching responsibilities in many ways. We hope that you will be willing to allow students to learn by being involved in your care. If you do not wish students to be involved at any stage please let us know.

Your care will not be affected in any way by your decision.