Appointments

The appointment system we operate is called Advanced Access.  This allows patients to book routine appointments up to two weeks in advance, if appointments are available.  It also enables patients who are in full time employment and need to plan for time off work to attend the surgery, to book ahead.  It also helps to reduce the number of missed appointments

The surgery also offers consultations on Saturday mornings, during advertised hours, to enable patients who would otherwise have difficulty, to access our services.  Patients will  be seen by appointment only, pre-bookable up to two weeks in advance.  Patients with urgent medical problems should continue to use the out-of-hours service. (Please note that reception is closed on Saturday mornings).

The majority of our routine appointments are available on the day with the exception of Saturday mornings.

Same Day Appointments

If you need an on the day appointment, please ring at 08:30 for a morning appointment and 15:30 for an evening appointment.  There is a queuing system on the phone and calls are charged at local rates from a BT landline, other providers may vary and mobiles will be higher.  Please be assured that your call will be  answered as quickly as possible.

Please Note

Our appointments are 10 minutes long, therefore the doctor will only be able to deal with one or possibly two problems, during your consultation.  If you have multiple problems, you may be asked to book another appointment.

Please tell the receptionist, at the time of booking, if more than one person in the family needs to be seen. This will ensure that you have the appropriate appointment time - one appointment for one patient.

Telephone Consultations

If you wish to speak to the doctors for advice, you can book to have a telephone consultation.  Please telephone during consulting hours to book your appointment.  The doctor will ring you at an agreed time on the contact number you have given the receptionist.  However, if you are only available on a mobile, you may be expected to ring the practice at the agreed time.

To book a telephone consultation, you will need to telephone on or about 08:30 for a morning appointment and on or about 15:30 for an evening appointment.

Patients with Special Needs

Each of our surgeries is accessible to patients using a wheelchair. We can sometimes arrange an interpreter for those who do not speak English (but we require notice to arrange this).  Please let us know if you need this service when you book your appointment. However, it would be in your best interests to bring someone with you who can speak English when booking an on the day appointment.

Urdu and Punjabi is spoken by some of the doctors

Cancellations

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

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. Visits are normally carried out after morning surgery between 13:00 and 15:30.

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.

Telephone System

Mitcham Lane 02088350077

Francisan Road 02086729980

Please note that in the interests of both parties, calls may be recorded. We are planning to change our telephone number back to geographical ones when our current contract with the telephone provider expires.

Once you have been connected to the surgery, your call will be placed in a queue and will be answered as soon as a receptionist becomes available.

Select one of the following options to deal with your call:

• Appointments
• Home Visits
• Test Results
• Hospital Appointment Enquiries
• Prescription Enquiries
• General Enquiries

Alternatively, hold the line for reception.

Our telephone lines are open from :

Mitcham Lane  08:30 - 18:30 Monday to Friday

Franciscan Road 08:30 - 13:00 Monday to Friday and 13:30 - 18:30 Monday, Thursday and Friday.

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)

Training Practice

The Streatham Park Surgery is a training practice which means that we help to train doctors at various stages  in their careers who wish to become doctors (medical students) or GPs (GP Registrar).

The GP Registrar will usually be attached to the practice for six to twelve months under the supervision of Dr Ghufoor or Dr Hussain  who are the GP trainers.

The GP registrar will consult with patients just like other GPs but may require advice from their supervisors or the other GPs on how to best manage a patient.  Sometimes, the GP Registrar will sit in to observe GPs as part of their training and conversely, from time to time,  the trainer  will sit in and observe consultations by the GP registrar. As part of their training, the GP Registrar will video consultations and then review this with the trainer  with your permission. The appointment time the GP Registrar will have with a patient will vary according to their level of experience.

General practice is an excellent place for learning and practicing  the many skills need to be a good doctor particularly communication, listening, history taking and examining patients.  Due to  the diversity of patients that are seen during a routine surgery, general practice provides the students with experience in a wide variety of diseases which they may not encounter in secondary care.

You have the right not to have a medical student or GP Registrar present during your consultation.  However, this is an important part of their training and your co-operation is very much appreciated.  Remember, they may well be your GP in the future.