OVER THE CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEAR PERIOD E-CONSULT IS ONLY AVAILABLE FOR URGENT ON THE DAY ISSUES.  REQUESTS FOR ROUTINE APPOINTMENTS WILL BE AVAILABLE AGAIN IN THE NEW YEAR

Appointments

Availability

Appointments are available every week day between 08:00 and 20:00.

Chaperones

We recognise that intimate examinations by health care professionals can be distressing or embarrassing for patients. Wherever possible, you will be offered the security of having a chaperone present.

Please feel free to advise the receptionist in advance of your appointment, if you think this will be the case, and do not hesitate to ask the doctor or nurse for a chaperone if you are not offered this option during your consultation. If you would prefer to see only a doctor of a specific gender to discuss your medical problem, then again please advise the receptionist of this when booking your appointment.

Late Arrivals

If you are late for your appointment, you may be asked to rebook your appointment for another day and time. As a general rule if you are more than 15 minutes late for your appointment you may be asked to rebook.

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

We are able to provide a home visit if someone is housebound or genuinely too unwell to come to the surgery.

Home visits are, however, very time consuming and reduce the number of appointments we are able to offer – doctors could see 4 or 5 people in the surgery in the time taken for just one visit. At home we do not have full records and equipment so care is generally better delivered in the surgery.

As a rule, we ask that people come to the surgery whenever possible even if it means asking a relative or friend to bring you or getting a taxi. Children should always be brought to the surgery rather than seen at home.

We are only obliged to visit at home on the grounds of clinical need and not because of difficulties with transport.

If you think you may need a home visit, please call the surgery before 11:00 in the morning. Visits are usually done over lunchtime and requests coming in later in the day are highly disruptive to afternoon surgeries causing inconvenience to other patients. Afternoon visits are therefore reserved for medical emergencies only.

You may be called before someone comes out to visit to see if there is another way to help with your problem.

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)

Urgent dental care

If you are not registered with an NHS dentist, then please phone the Wiltshire Dental Helpline (Monday-Friday 8.30am-5.00pm).

If you are registered with an NHS dentist, then please call them first, as they will have their own process for providing urgent care.

Urgent out of hours dental treatment 

Outside of the hours mentioned above, please call 111.

(The NHS 111 service is for when you need urgent care but it's not a 999 emergency. It's available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year and calls are free from landlines and mobile phones.)

More serious problems

Please go to the Emergency Department or call 999 immediately if you experience any of the following:

• Uncontrollable bleeding following dental extractions
• Rapidly increasing swelling around the throat or eye
• Severe trauma to the face and jaws

Frequently Asked Questions

What is considered as an 'urgent' dental problem?

If you experience either of the following:

• Severe dental and facial pain not controlled by over-the-counter preparations.
• Acute facial swelling or dental abscess.

What happens when I ring the out of hours dental service?

Specially trained staff will answer your call.  They will ask you some questions, for example your name, address and the reason for your call. Your problem will initially be assessed over the phone.

They will then either:

• Put you through to a Nurse to give you advice on how to look after yourself
• Ask you to come in to one of our centres to be treated by one of our team.  

All calls to the out of hours dental service are treated in confidence.

There will be a charge for treatment at the out of hours service. NHS charging bands give more information. 

Where else can I go for dental advice and treatment out of hours?

Your local Pharmacy may be able to offer advice. Check notices at your local Pharmacy or look in your local paper to find out which chemists are open outside normal hours.

The NHS Choices website (www.nhs.uk) provides 24-hour, confidential healthcare advice and information; or you can call them on 0845 46 47. All staff are trained Nurses or healthcare professionals.