Medical Certification / Sick Notes / Reports
There has been a substantial increase in the numbers of patients requesting a letter from their doctor for various services they require, Requests for forms to be completed and certificates to be signed also take up a considerable amount of time. Please give plenty of notice and do not leave it until the last minute if you have a request of this nature. Please note that all patients will be charged for this facility.
Patients requiring a sick note for work must attend the surgery in person and be seen by the Doctor who can then certify them. We cannot issue Medical certificates to patients without being seen by the Doctor. the exception to this is when patients have been an inpatient in Hospital and we have received a letter.
Medical Cards / E111 Cards / GMS cards / EU health cards
Please note that we do not accept medical cards, E111 cards, GMS cards or EU health cards.
Test Results
Dame Street Medical Centre carries out a large number of clinical tests – some are carried out “on-site” e.g. Blood tests, Swabs, Urine Cultures and others may require a visit to a Hospital or Clinic, eg X-rays, Ultrasound Scans, MRI scans etc. The referring doctor will let you know approximately when your test results will be available, and also agree with you beforehand on how we will communicate these results to you. If your results are normal, and with your prior permission, we may inform you by phone. Alternatively, and with good clinical reasons, we may ask you to return to the clinic for follow up consultation to discuss your results with the Doctor.
Please note that it is the patient responsibility to follow up their test results with the clinic. If we do not call you don’t assume that your tests are normal.
Women who have a Cervical Smear under the current Cervical Check Programme will be notified of their results directly by post by Cervical Check.
Repeat Prescriptions
We do not issue prescriptions without seeing the patient but occasionally (if the patient was seen recently) we do. Repeat prescriptions may be ordered at reception. Please allow at least 24 hours (and preferably 48hrs) notice. A fee applies for such prescriptions. For certain prescriptions a check up may be needed and consultation with the doctor is required e.g. contraceptive pill, blood pressure medication, antidepressants, etc. Please note that repeat prescriptions are always at the discretion of the Doctor, and not the Receptionist.
Email Policy
Please note our email facility is strictly for dealing with appointments. Unfortunately we cannot accept any communications regarding medical information for legal reasons. Any email containing such information will not be forwarded to a GP and will not be responded to.
Aggressive Behaviour Policy
We treat all patients with respect and courtesy and we would expect the same respect and courtesy in return. Any aggressive or inappropriate behaviour towards staff will not be tolerated and will be dealt with through the appropriate channels.
Confidentiality
Confidentiality is a fundamental principle of medical ethics and is central to the trust between patients and doctors. Patients are entitled to expect that information about them will be held in confidence. While the concern of the patient’s relatives and close friends is understandable, we cannot discuss or disclose information to anyone without the patient’s written consent. We ask you for personal information so that you can receive care and treatment. This information is recorded on computer. The practice will ensure that patient confidentiality is maintained at all times by all members of the practice team. However, for the effective functioning of a multi-disciplinary team it is necessary that medical information about you is shared between members of the team.
Comments and Suggestions
We are happy to accept and consider comments and suggestions from our patients. Please present your views in writing at the reception or use our suggestion box.
Complaints Procedure
We always try to provide the best service possible, but there may be times when you feel That this has not happened. The following information explains our in-house complaint procedure, drawn up to respond to patient`s grievances. Our practice procedure is not able to deal with questions of legal liability or compensation. We hope you will use it to allow us to look into and, if necessary, correct any problems that you have identified, or mistakes that have been made. If you use this procedure it will not affect your right to complain to the Health Board. Please note that we have to respect our duty of confidentiality to patients and patient`s consent will be necessary if a complaint is not made by the patient in person. If you do wish to make a complaint, please telephone or write to our Practice Manager. Full details will be taken and a decision made on how to best undertake the investigation.
