Offering regular checks for insulin and non-insulin dependent diabetics including blood glucose monitoring, dietary advice etc. You should attend for a review as a minimum once every 12 months, however you may be asked to attend more frequently.
You will also be invited to attend a specialist centre for an annual assessment of your eyes, feet and diet. It is an essential part of your diabetic care and important that you keep/make your appointment when contacted.
Offering essential advice and management on the prevention of heart disease including cholesterol testing and blood pressure monitoring.
You should attend for a review as a minimum once every 12 months, however you may be asked to attend more frequently.
You may require an assessment of your lung function. Further details can be obtained from the Practice Nurse. You should attend for a review as a minimum once every 12 months, however you may be asked to attend more frequently.
Offering regular checks, providing general advice on inhaler technique and management monitoring. You should attend for an asthma review as a minimum once every 12 months, however you may be asked to attend more frequently.
Carried out by the Practice Pharmacists by appointment or telephone. You should have a review at least once every 12 months. The pharmacists are available Tuesdays and Thursdays.
If the doctor decides that you require specialist treatment you will be offered the choice of where you wish to receive this, from a wide list of hospitals and clinics, and at a time suitable for you.
You will either receive details of the appointment booked for you or a unique booking reference number, a password and the number to ring to arrange your own appointment or website address if you have internet access and you wish to book your appointment online.
Further information is available on the NHS website (www.nhs.uk).
We have a contract with North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board to provide for the medical care of our patients under the National Health Service.
Services not included in the NHS contract may be provided on a private basis with an appropriate fee charged.
Why do GP’s charge fees?
Your questions answered
Isn’t the NHS supposed to be free?
The National Health Service provides most health care to most people free of charge, but there are exceptions, for example prescription charges, and there are a number of other services for which fees are charged. This is because the service is not covered by the NHS, for example claim forms for referral to private care and other letters and forms which require the GP to review the patient’s medical record.
Surely the GP is being paid anyway?
GPs are not employed by the NHS. They are self-employed and have to cover their costs – staff, buildings, heating, lighting etc – in the same way as any small business. The NHS pays the doctor for specific NHS work but for non-NHS work the fee has to cover the GP’s costs.
What is covered by the NHS and what is not?
The government’s contract with GP’s covers medical services to NHS patients. In recent years more and more organisations have been involving GPs in a whole range of non-medical work.
Examples of non-NHS services for which GPs can charge their NHS patients are:
Private medical insurance reports
Holiday cancellation claim forms
Referral for private care forms
Letters requested by, or on behalf of, the patient
Examples of non-NHS services for which GPs can charge other institutions are:
Medical reports for an insurance company
Some reports from DSS/Benefits agency
Examinations of local authority employees
Why does it sometimes take my GP a long time to complete my form?
Time spent completing forms and preparing reports takes the GP away from the medical care of his / her patients. GPs have a very heavy workload and paperwork takes up an increasing amount of their time.
I only need a GPs signature – what is the problem?
When a GP signs a certificate or completes a report, it is a condition of remaining on the Medical Register that they only sign what they know to be true. Therefore, in order to complete even the simplest of forms, the GP needs to check the patient’s entire medical record. Carelessness or inaccurate report can have serious consequences for the GP.
Why do I need to pay upfront?
In the past we have completed reports and forms before payment has been made, but sadly there has been many occasions when the GP has completed the work but the payment has not been made. Therefore, the fee must be paid in advance at the time of the request for the letter or form to be completed is made or when the appointment for the medical is booked.
Fees available on request.
Midwives from City Hospitals Sunderland host a clinic at our neighboring practice Wearside Medical Practice every Monday and undertake all aspects of antenatal care on behalf of the practice.
If you need to contact the Midwife please call the main Health Centre number and ask to be transferred.
Tel: 0191 5341477
A chaperone is a person who is present as well as the person who is examining you. All patients (male and female) are entitled to have a chaperone present when an intimate examination or procedure will take place. Usually the chaperone would be a member of staff.
In appropriate circumstances, a family member may act as chaperone.
Sometimes the Health Care Professional may request a chaperone themselves. All staff have completed chaperone training and relevant DBS checks.
A carer is a person of any age, adult or child, who provides unpaid support to a partner, child, relative or friend who could not manage to live independently or whose health or wellbeing would deteriorate without this help.
There are many reasons why someone may need to be cared for these could be due to frailty, disability or a serious health condition, mental ill health or substance misuse.
Carers package including what support is available – Please let us know if you are a carer or are cared for so we can utilise all the support that is available to you.
