Our GP appointments are signposted by staff to the best service available for patients. This is to allow patients to get the best treatment first time. If also helps with appointment demand. GP
This year to ensuring we have the correct stock, we have opened up specific flu clinics once previous flu clinics have been completed. This is to ensure we do not run out of stock, for people with booked appointments. We have also been trying to co-ordinate clinics with Covid Vaccine deliveries. The Over 65 flu uptake has been great this year and we have flown through the stock, we order stock 14 months in advance. We are pleased your Mum has received her Winter vaccinations from other NHS providers.
Reception do try to inform patients on arrival if staff are running late.
We do provide an e- consultation service and can send questionnaires via text for UTIs, these then drop straight into your patient record for GPs to access.
Our staff all work really hard to provide a service that we would want our own families to receive, and we are sorry you had a mix-up with your appointment.
All appointments are available as face to face or telephone appointment – please specify your preference at time of booking. If you need a longer appointment please ask when you book.
Face to Face appointments have always been available and will always be available. When booking you appoint please state if you prefer Face to face or telephone appointment, we leave this to patient choice. Not all symptoms are appropriate for a telephone appointment and we request face to face appointment so a complete examination can be performed.
Flu jabs are ordered by the surgery 12 months in advance, at the point of ordering we have no insight as to NHS England policy for the up coming year. The surgeries in the Darlington Primacy Care Network chose not to take part in the Covid campaign as there were plenty of other providers in the locality.
We do offer online booking for Nurses and HCA staff. GP appointments can be booked by phone, econsult and in person. Any appointment can be booked as a face to face or telephone appointment, this is patient choice at time of booking. When booking an appointment you will always be advised if it is with a Doctor, Nurse Practitioner, Nurse, Health Care Assistant or Social Prescriber. Admin staff will phone patients with messages from clinicians but are not medically trained to consult with patients.
All appointments are available as face to face or telephone appointment – please specify your preference at time of booking.
All appointments are available as face to face or telephone appointment – please specify your preference at time of booking.
Appointments for samples are always before 1530, as our sample collection is between 1530 and 1600hrs. Later appointments can be provided at patients` request, but patients will need to drop their samples at the lab. Reception does inform patients of this at the time of booking.
Since the pandemic, our ways of working have changed dramatically. With GPs consulting with twice as many patients a day. These include face-to-face appointments, telephone appointments, video appointments, home visits, and E-consultations. This additional workload brings additional administration and no additional GPs. The surgery still offers on-the-day appointments for patients, and Econsults are processed on the day, allowing working and non-working patients the same availability.
Reception do try to inform patients on arrival if staff are running late.
If we have missed getting back to you, please contact the surgery again so we can chase any necessary correspondence.
Everybody has access to their medical records using the NHS App.
Unfortunately our dispensary and the Pharmacy next door have been having a lot of problems obtaining stock, this is due to a national shortage of items. As small independent practices we do not have the buying power of the larger companies, although we do check with our wholesalers daily, this is equally frustrating for us.
The eligibility for Covid Vaccinations are set by NHS England. These have changed for this Winter 2024 campaign.
SIGNPOSTING: Covid Jab Eligability
COVID-19 vaccine
NHS Health Checks have a strict template to follow, which includes height, weight, alcohol intake and smoking status. An NHS Health Check involves two appointments, one for 20 minutes to collect data and samples and a follow-up 10-minute appointment to discuss results. These criteria must be met before any data can be pulled for payment. An annual review for your medication may not include all of the above and maybe a 10-30minute appointment depending on your personal long-term conditions.
The surgery follows NHS guidelines on infection control. Patients and staff have a choice to wear protective equipment as they see fit. We do not have filters in the waiting area as the entrance and exit doors provide ventilation to this area. Our screens at reception were taken down at patient request.
We are a NHS practice, offering NHS services. We do not offer private services eg blood tests. If you choose to commence treatment with a Private provider, to avoid waiting lists, any follow up bloods etc will also be done privately as this is the option you have chosen. You cannot opt in and out.
Please contact your designated Pharmacy with this request. The pharmacy next to the surgery is a separate business and we have no input on their policies.
Many local pharmacies provide this service, please contact your pharmacy to arrange this.
We do provide an email rockliffe.prescriptions@nhs.net to order medication, this can also be done via the NHS APP.
To avoid this, please call you pharmacy in advance to check both prescriptions are ready. If two prescriptions are ordered together they are usually processed together. This may alter if a GP needs to authorise an item that the Prescription Clerk cannot process.
Prescriptions can be taken via email, using SystmOnline login, using the NHS App or by dropping a slip of paper into reception or our post box. This is to prevent errors in patient descriptions and to ensure that the correct items are provided. This is a town-wide initiative.
We do provide an email rockliffe.prescriptions@nhs.net to order medication, this can also be done via the NHS APP.
We do have a sign on reception asking patients to stand back and give patients space. We also offer a side room for any private discussions needed. We have recently introduced a radio in the waiting room, to help with background noise and a patient check-in screen to reduce the queue at the front desk.
During busy periods there are 3 people on reception – including the front desk. We are also in the process of getting a new patient self-check in screen, to help reduce the queue.
We do have a maintenance programme to keep the surgery fresh and clean. Thank you for highlighting this and we will raise it with our team.
Unfortunately, this is not possible due to where we are as the land surrounding us is all privately owned. We are aware of hte parking problems and have put signs up requesting that the parking is for Surgery / Pharmacy use only. We contacted the council regarding access at school pick up/drop off times and double yellow lines have been installed. Additional parking is available down the lane at the far end of the surgery.
We agree this is a problem in the building, this issue has been raised with the NHS IT Team.
Unfortunately sometime errors do occur at the lab. Blood can also haemolyse, and cannot be used, patients are then asked to come back for another test.