General Information

Parking

Car Parking
Car parking is available during surgery hours for patients who use the practice or the attached pharmacy. Please do not leave your car if you need to do any shopping or have any other business in the village or the city centre.

Designated disabled parking is available at the front of the building.
Unfortunately, there are occasions when we need to request an Ambulance urgently and there is a designated Ambulance parking space which must be left clear at all times. However, this space can also serve as a pick up/drop off point for patients who have mobility problems. Please do not leave your car parked in this space.

Bicycles
As the practice promotes a healthier lifestyle, there are facilities available for those who have cycled to the practice and can lock their bicycle safely. The bicycle station is situated at the front of the building next to the 'doctor on call' space at the front of the pharmacy.

Registering with the Practice

Registering with the practice and New Patient Screening

  • If you are a new patient, you must complete a health questionnaire before you are accepted onto the list.
  • We would ask you to complete the registration form as much as possible so that all your relevant medical history is available when you attend your appointment.
  • You will need to make an appointment with the doctor/nurse for a health check.
  • If you take prescribed medication you will need to make an appointment with the doctor or nurse for a medication review.
  • Please bring with you to your appointment, any medication you are currently taking and a urine sample (please ask reception for a specimen bottle when you register).
Disabled Access

The surgery has made numerous adjustments to the building to comply with providing adequate disability access for our patients and visitors by:

  • Installing automated doors at the entrance to the surgery to make it easier for wheelchairs.
  • Provision of disabled toilets.
  • Most of the main services are offered on ground floor level.
  • Lifts have been installed for access to those services offered on the first floor.
Sick Notes

Remember that the patient is responsible for the self-certification for the first week using green form, SC1 .
So for the first week the doctor will not be able to provide a NHS sickness certificate. In this case the doctor may occasionally be able to provide a private medical certificate but there will be a cost involved.

The SC1 form is available from your employer and the Post Office.

After the first week a certificate may be obtained from your doctor on request.

Bereavement Advice

Losing a member of your family or someone you care about is very sad and one of life’s most difficult experiences. Sadly there is a lot to be organised in this distressing time and not knowing how to go about this only contributes to this difficult period. In the first instance a member of the family would usually collect a death certificate from the reception desk.  A booklet on guidance of what to do next will be attached to the certificate. There are many decisions and arrangements which need to be made for which you might need information.  This leaflet has been prepared to help and advise you regarding the formalities that are necessary and will help to alleviate some of the stresses and concerns of the family when dealing with the practical side of bereavement.   

Access to Medical Records

Under the Data protection Act patients have a right to see their medical records. The Access to Health Records Act 1990 gave individuals the right of access, subject to certain exceptions, to health information recorded about themselves, and, in certain circumstances, about others, within manual records. The Data Protection Act (DPA) 1998 came into force in March 2000 and repealed most of the 1990 Access to Health Records Act.

  • Medical records consist of both computer held and paper records. These records are carefully stored and treated with the utmost confidentiality at all times.
  • Other healthcare professionals may sometimes require access to medical records e.g health visitors, midwives etc.
  • Occasionally the doctors receive requests from third party organisations such as Solicitors or Insurance companies for information from a patient's medical records.
  • Where a solicitor makes a request for records, the patient will be written to prior to the release of the records and information will only be disclosed with the prior consent of the patient to the practice.
  • Please remember that all relevant information will be released as requested. If you require any further information regarding the above please ask at reception.

Lordswood House has a policy of openness with regard to health records and health professionals are encouraged to allow patients to access their health records on an informal basis. This policy however, is not followed when the doctor judges that the release of certain information would be damaging to the patient's health of compromise the confidentiality of another third party.