Formby Village Surgery has taken over Freshfield Surgery and some major changes have taken place wit
Formby Village Doctors Surgery took over the running of Freshfield surgery as from 1st April 2018. This has caused a change in the way the Formby Village Surgery runs it's appointments system. Formby Village Surgery deal with routine appointments and all their emergency appointments are held at the Freshfield Surgery on Old Town Lane.
From 23rd April patients from both The Village Surgery and Freshfield Surgery have been dealt with in the same way and a new model of care for patients has been introduced.
Here are all the details.
A GUIDE TO THE NEW APPOINTMENT SYSTEM
The Village Surgery took over the running of Freshfield surgery from 1st April 2018.
A spokesperson from the Village Surgery said: "With increasing pressure on primary care services throughout the NHS we feel that expansion of our patient list base would allow us to secure and expand local GP services."
"After seeking feedback from surveys and our Patient Participation Group we are aware that a major frustration for patients is accessing services in a timely manner. With this in mind it is our intention to jointly manage both patients’ lists across 2 sites (The Village Surgery & Freshfield Surgery)."
"From 23rd April 2018, patients from both sites have been dealt with in the same way and a new model of care for patients has been introduced. In order for us to remain responsive to patients needing different levels of support from the team the following model will manage patients in a more effective and efficient way given the current pressures on Primary Care."
"We appreciate that this is a new process and a new way of working so we will be constantly reviewing the system and would welcome any feedback to help us to ensure we are providing services to all of our patients as efficiently and effectively as possible."
Feedback can be given through either the Patient Participant Group or by using the suggestion boxes in either surgery’s reception area.
What to do if you....
Require a Home Visit:
Ring the Village Surgery site from 08:00 and before 11:00
Please provide the information requested by the receptionist to allow us to prioritise need.
Explain why you cannot attend the surgery at either site.
Require an appointment on the day:
Ring either site from 08:00 to agree a time slot to attend to avoid long waits.
Register your arrival at Freshfield Surgery with the receptionist.
Wait for the next available clinician.
Require a routine appointment:
Ring either site at your own convenience and arrange a mutually agreeable appointment with the clinician of your choice
or
Ring The Village Surgery site and book a telephone appointment if you feel your concerns can be dealt with over the phone.
More Information about Appointments:
A percentage of our appointments are available for booking up to 3 weeks in advance, subject to individual doctors leave etc. These can be booked by calling 01704 878661 or calling in to reception.
A number of appointments are now available to book in advance online. For information on how to register for this service and a link through to the website please click here.
Each doctor also offers telephone consultations each day which can be booked in advance. If you feel that your problem does not need a physical examination then these slots can be booked either in person or via the telephone system as detailed above.
Our practice nurse appointments are available between 8.45am and 5.00pm most days. These appointments are available to book in advance either in person or via the telephone system.
If you cannot attend an appointment for any reason please inform us as soon as possible in order for us to offer the slot to someone else and re-arrange your appointment for a more convenient time.
We also offer an evening surgery once a week and a Saturday morning service, in addition to our regular service, for patients who cannot easily attend surgery through the week (i.e. they have work commitments). These are routine appointments which must be booked in advance either in person at reception or via the telephone system.
HOME VISITS
Our home visiting policy is based on RCGP guidelines.
Home visits must be requested before 11:00 between Monday and Friday
Home visits are reserved for patients who are genuinely housebound and who do not leave the house for any reason: including those in nursing and residential homes.
The GP will only visit if the patient’s clinical condition prevents them from travelling to the surgery and that they have a medical condition that necessitates an urgent medical opinion.
Age is not a criterion for a home visit. The criterion applies to both older and younger people.
Home visits will not be undertaken for social / transport reasons.
The GP/Clinician may refuse a visit to the patient and offer an urgent appointment at the surgery if they feel that is more appropriate.
**For more detailed information and to view a copy of our Home Visit Policy please see our home visit page on the website under Patient Information & Resources**
Patients should dial 999 in the case of a genuine life threatening emergency. For life threatening emergencies, requesting a home visit from a GP can delay life-saving treatment.
ACUTE MEDICAL PROBLEMS
Patients currently registered at both surgeries, who feel they need to access GP services on the day, will be able to attend the Freshfield site between the hours of 08:30-11:00 and 15.30 – 17.30 and be seen by the acute care team. Phoning in advance is advisable to allow us to effectively manage the daily workload and help you to avoid long waiting times.
ROUTINE PRE-BOOKABLE APPOINTMENTS
These will largely be available at The Village Surgery site but some routine appointments will be available on Tuesday and Thursday between 13:00 – 15.00 at The Freshfield site to cater for patients who would find it difficult to access The Village Surgery. For patients who want a routine pre-bookable appointment, they will be able to contact either practice to organize these. This supports the continuity of care for patients with chronic and complex medical problems as they will be able to access a regular doctor.
TELEPHONE CONSULTATONS
These will also be available and they can be booked by contacting the Village Surgery site after 08:00. The reception team will give you an approximate time that the clinician will call.
ADDITIONAL SERVICES
In addition to general GP services, currently Freshfield patients will have access to the following enhanced services currently provided by The Village Surgery:
Extended Hours (including Saturday morning appointments for full time workers).
In-house minor surgery.
Enhanced contraceptive services including Mirena coil and contraceptive implants on-site.
Joint injections
Access to GP with specialist interest in Dermatology.
Medication reviews with a Clinical Pharmacist.
Drop-in phlebotomy clinics (Tuesday and Thursday between 09:00 and 11:00)
Dedicated Adult Health Visitor support for housebound patients.
We are also in the process of developing cholesterol management, pain and menopause clinics.
A statement from the Village Surgery on their website gives more information:
Text Alert System
Here at The Village Surgery we are continually seeking out new ways to improve our services for our patients. We are currently running a text alert system that aims to improve communication as well as being more environmentally friendly and delivering considerable cost saving. This will be achieved by replacing a number of our letters sent by post with text messages delivered direct to your mobile phone. We would like to encourage all our patients to use this service so if we don't already have your mobile number then please fill out a slip from reception or click the link below right to update your details.
CQC Inspection
Following our CQC inspection in September we have now received confirmation that we have been awarded a rating of good for the service we provide. For a link through to read the report in full please click here.
Smear Clinics
For ladies who work and struggle to get to the surgery during normal office hours we are now holding smear clinics on Thursday and Friday afternoons. These are available to book via reception or through Patient Access. In order to access the Patient Access system you will need to register, click here for more information.
Repeat Prescriptions
From 1st September 2016 pharmacies and dispensing companies will no longer be able to order repeat prescriptions on your behalf. For more information please pick up a leaflet from reception or click here. For detailed information on processing times and ways to order your prescription please click here.
Accountable GP's
As this practice operates a personal list for GP's it means that at the Village Surgery every patient has a named, accountable GP (including children) who will take lead responsibility for the co-ordination of all appropriate services required under the General Medical Services contract. For frequently asked questions regarding accountable GPs please click here.
WE ARE NOW OFFERING APPOINTMENTS AVAILABLE TO BOOK ONLINE.
IF YOU WISH TO USE THE SERVICE YOU WILL NEED TO REGISTER.
SIMPLY POP IN AND ASK RECEPTION FOR DETAILS
For any more information, please visit the website: www.thevillagesurgeryformby.nhs.uk
